Apartments struck by fire twice in a year

‘Everything gone’ as 2-alarm blaze destroys 16 units

Last year, Anikka Gray’s apartment was destroyed by a neighbor’s kitchen fire, forcing her to move to the building next door.

Thursday night, she again watched her home go up in flames as a second fire in less than a year engulfed 16 units in a northwest Houston apartment complex.

The two-alarm fire was at Aurora Place Apartments in the 10700 block of Glenora. It was formerly known as Hastings Place.

The fire drew 100 firefighters from 28 response units and five departments. The call came in at 5:15 p.m. Monday, according to Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department Public Information Officer John Hurt.

“Most of our things were safe last time, but this time everything is gone,” said Gray, 24, who lives with her mother and 6-yearold daughter. She carried a cardboard box full of the little she could salvage to her car, joined by a friend, Jasmine Griffin, who had helped a group of children look for their parents as the flames raged.

At least 10 residents tried to quell the flames with fire extinguishers, the pair said, to little avail.

No residents were injured in the blaze. One firefighter was monitored for smoke inhalation, said Lt. Ravi K. Maini, a Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department spokesman.

The building that caught fire, in the complex made up of several three-story apartment buildings, was directly behind the building that burned in March. Last year’s fire started from the inside, and responders were able to stop it before it reached the edge of the building, in an effort that injured three firefighters, Hurt said. This time, the entire apartment building was lost.

The first and second stories of the three-story building were on fire when units arrived. Fire officials said the blaze is believed to have started on the first or second floor. The cause is under investigation.

Wind caused flames to spread to a nearby field. Responders fought the two fires at the same time.

The Red Cross is helping affected residents. Aurora Place may have unoccupied units available for residents whose apartments were destroyed, Maini said.

Gray said she did not receive any assistance relocating to a new apartment after her residence was destroyed last year.

Hugh Morton, who lived on the second floor with three children, said his home was destroyed. Morton says he has renter’s insurance, but will stay with his mother for the night.

He says he watched last year as the fire broke out.

“Last year I was sitting on my porch saying this is too close,” he said.