A rash of fires has struck the Houston area lately, and one claimed the life of a deaf man.
The most recent fire, which occurred Sunday, apparently involved a drier. The house was damaged, but thankfully none of the family members was reported injured.
More serious was another house fire, also on Sunday. In it, an elderly woman named Marva Montgomery was injured by smoke inhalation. The blaze was said to have been ignited by candles, and it badly damaged the house where Ms. Montgomery has lived her whole life, located near Mary Street and Lee Street.
Sadly, another fire, which occurred on Friday, killed a man in the Glen Willow Apartments, located at Willowbend Boulevard and South Post Oak. Media accounts report that the fire broke out shortly before midnight. Some of the residents were unable to contain it with fire extinguishers, and the Houston Fire Department responded to the scene. They learned that someone was trapped in a burning unit, and fire fighters there found a deaf man named “Eddie” in the closet of his bedroom. Though he was given CPR at the scene and rushed to the hospital, he died of smoke inhalation. Eddie was well liked by his neighbors, and was said to have enjoyed socializing with them and also dancing. The fire is under investigation, but it is thought to have begun in the kitchen of the only apartment that suffered fire damage.
These three events serve as a serious reminder that, even though the dangers of fires have been known for millennia, fires continue to pose a hazard. Residents must exercise caution. In addition, planners and operators of commercial properties must put life safety first in the design, maintenance, and inspections of their properties.
If you or someone you know has been injured on someone else’s property, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling 713-231-9360 or toll free at 1‑800-594-4884.