Fire in Northwest Harris County

By Rucks Russell at KHOU News, Houston
New Year’s Day began awfully for several families forced from their homes by fire. The blaze broke overnight at the Excelsior on the Park Apartments near Spring. Flames fed by high winds tore through one of the buildings, gutting several units and leaving residents scrambling to save whatever they could.

“We really didn’t have a chance to pull out anything but each other and our car keys,” said Tamika Hancock, who had lived in her apartment for more than a year. The fire destroyed everything she owned. “We’ll just have to start all over,” she added.
The blaze climbed to three alarms before firefighters were able to bring it under control. All of the residents managed to escape unharmed. Some of them thought they heard fireworks going off just before the fire began. “Me and my fiancé were downstairs sleeping and heard a loud popping noise,” said Jeff Alexander. “Then we came outside and saw the flames.”

Investigators from the Harris County Fire Marshal’s office combed through what was left of the building. They used an arson dog to sniff for accelerants. But officials ruled out fireworks and said there’s no reason to believe the blaze was deliberately set.
The Red Cross is helping a total of five families who were displaced. Some victims remain thankful despite their loss.