Headquarters of teachers union damaged in fire

The Houston Federation of Teachers headquarters was badly damaged Monday after what officials speculated was a gas explosion, according to Andy Dewey, the union’s secretary-treasurer.

The building, located at 2704 Sutherland in southeast Houston, was unoccupied. No one was injured, he said.

Houston Fire Department spokesperson Martee Boose said she could not confirm whether the damage was caused by a gas explosion. She said dispatchers took a report of an “office fire” at the building.

Dewey said fire officials at the scene guessed it was a gas explosion. The stone wall of a meeting room had collapsed, and a subsequent fire damaged the interior.

The origin and cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said.