This video uploaded to YouTube by Karen Jones shows a construction worker seemingly trapped on a fourth-floor balcony of the blazing Axis Apartments in North Montrose yesterday afternoon. According to a construction supervisor working on the neighboring Finger Properties apartment complex who spoke to a Houston Chronicle reporter, the fire started on the northeast corner of the L-shaped structure’s roof. Jones doesn’t identify her filming location in the video, but it appears to be taken from an upper floor of a low-rise office building along Rylis St. in the American General complex. That would mean the imperiled worker was on a balcony facing north, and that the rescuing fire worker was on a ladder truck in the parking lot immediately west of the Magnolia Cemetery.
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The 368-unit apartment complex had a main address of 2400 Dallas St. The video shows the construction worker’s rescue, moments before a section of the fourth floor collapses, and a few seconds after a dramatic jump from the fourth-floor balcony to one on the third.
- Fire official speculates on cause of Montrose blaze [Houston Chronicle]
- The Axis Apartments Under Construction on West Dallas and Montrose Are on Fire Now [Swamplot]
Video and still: Karen Jones
Do yourself a favor – turn the audio off. Kudos to Karen for holding the camera steady and landscape.
The Sista’ commentary makes the video…”Oh my God, Oh Lawdy, Oh my Jesus!!!”
Commentary wasn’t that bad. Most people these days would say “Holy shit” over and over while watching something like that. Ms. Jones’ comments were rather more savory.
Unless this guy is proven to be the one that started the fire (accidentally or negligently) he is set for life. With a good ambulance chaser, he’s got a case for permanent back injury, lifetime emotional pain and suffering, PTSD, etc. He’ll be retiring on a beach in Cabo in a few months.
@Mike
The benefits of shooting that video from a corporate office building …
If that same video had been shot outside work hours, we might have heard a lot more f-bombs, even from the same exact people.
I looked at the video last night on youtube. She had 2.3 million hits. Karen, the lady who shot the video, might make a little money out of this.
@Texmex01, why bring in racial stereotypes? I thought the report was fine BTW.
I am pretty sure a person of any race would describe that as ‘sista commentary and Texmex01 didnt say there was anything wrong with it. He said it ‘made’ the video as would most commentary in such situations. Any stereotype that requires expressing concern, having a clean mouth, and thanking God is a good one in my book. My favorite part though was the girl in the background who was obviously not paying attention, the all of the sudden was worried about the guy.