Tag: Fires

07/07/16 5:30pm

City: Telling Everybody About the Hazardous Chemicals Stored All Over Town Wouldn’t Be Safe

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Spring Branch tributary after Laverne St. Fire

A Houston Chronicle attempt to get more info aboutÂ the surprise chemical warehouse fire that turnedÂ Spring Branch Creek blood red earlier this year has been denied by the city, writes Matt DempseyÂ this week.Â The city has reportedlyÂ appealed toÂ the stateÂ attorney general’s office to block the records request, as well asÂ the paper’s broader request for “the name and address of every facility that files a hazardous material inventory form.”

The early May fire spread from a residence on Laverne St.,Â ignitingÂ still-unquantifiedÂ amountsÂ of still-unnamed chemicals stored at the Custom Packaging & Filling warehouse behind it — a business that didn’t show up on the list of storage facilities the Chronicle was able to compile from local emergency planning groups, after the city and state blocked a previous request for similar info last year.Â The blazeÂ left some firefighters withÂ chemical burns and respiratory issues, and left stretches of nearby waterways decorated with festive biohazard signs and oil booms as the EPA did what they could about the mixture of pesticides and whatever else was killing the fish that drained from the site.

Knowing Your Neighbors

Chemical Plants, Chemical Storage, Fires, Hazardous Materials, Pollution, Spring Branch Creek, Spring-Branch

06/24/16 11:15am

Avenue Grill Only Lightly Toasted By This Morning’s Electrical Fire

First Ward, Restaurants

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Avenue Grill, 1017 Houston Ave., First Ward, Houston, 77007

Avenue Grill, 1017 Houston Ave., First Ward, Houston, 77007 The holdup on Houston Ave. this morning, reportsÂ a reader stuck in the resultingÂ traffic, is the aftermath of a minorÂ fireÂ at the Avenue Grill on the corner with Center St. The 1940s structureÂ (which the restaurant’s operations purportedly moved into in 1962 after 12 years of business across the street) appearsÂ unharmed by the flames, which HPD tells Dale Lezon started in the building’s electric sign. The restaurant’s property went stealthily onto the market back in August of 2014 before it was found out the following March; county records don’t appear to show a change of hands since then.

Fire Breaks Out at Avenue Grill near Downtown Houston [Houston Chronicle]
Previously on Swamplot:The Slow End of the Avenue Grill at the End of Center St.

Photos of fire response at Avenue Grill at 1017 Houston Ave.: Swamplot inbox

What’s Cooking in First Ward

77007, Fires, First Ward, Restaurants

05/16/16 12:30pm

What the Shady Acres Townhomes Taken Out by Friday’s Dumpster Fire Were Supposed To Look Like

Shady Acres

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Renderings of townhomes at 815 W. 24th St., Houston Heights, Houston, 77008

Above is a rendered view ofÂ theÂ Skyline on 24thÂ townhomes at 815 and 819 W. 24th St., a coupleÂ of which burned down on Friday evening after aÂ nearby dumpster fire reportedly spread. The SkylineÂ site backs up directly to part of theÂ Shady Acres location of C&D Scrap Metal Recyclers, which last month announced plans to closeÂ itsÂ Heights branch on May 12th;Â C&D owner and $2-bill enthusiast Dennis Laviage pointed out toÂ KPRC that the fire was hot enough to melt the steel framesÂ of the townhomes, and that the incidentÂ could have been way worse if some of the diesel stored on the C&D property had gotten involved in the action.

Builder La Casa International‘s in-progress pre-fire plans for the 2 lots included 8 units; aÂ rendering of the complex’s driveway viewed from W. 24th shows stone pavers partitioned off by strips of fake grass:

Smoke over the Skyline

77008, Fires, New Construction, Shady-Acres, Townhomes

05/10/16 5:15pm

Spring Branch Isn’t Bright Red Today But You Still Really Shouldn’t Go Swimming In It

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The latest addition to the growing collection of signage at the Westview Dr. crossing of Spring Branch: a shinyÂ new stick-in-your-yard-style biohazard warning sign, one of a numberÂ that popped up over the weekend along stretches of the creek that got the full vermillion treatment after last week’s chemical-fueled warehouse fireÂ about a mile upstream. The newcomer joins the inveterate kiddo-crossing and school-zone signs tipping off drivers to the proximity of bothÂ Moritz Pech Family Park and Valley Oaks Elementary School, along with a Keep Spring Branch Clean & Green! anti-litter placard and aÂ vintage No Dumping $200 Fine.

Other indicators of last week’s spill include the multi-colored booms still strung across the waterway (shown here looking south):

Trickling Through the Memorial Villages

77024, Fires, Hilshire-Village, Industrial Accidents, Pollution, Spring Valley Village, Toxic Sites

05/06/16 3:30pm

That Blood Red Stuff in the Bayou May Not Be Spring Branch’s Biggest Problem Right Now

Spring Branch

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Spring Branch tributary after Laverne St. Fire

The ditchesÂ ran red in the Spring Branch area yesterday asÂ the billowing 4-alarm fire nearÂ Laverne St. at Spring Branch Dr. triggered evacuations and shelter-in-place orders across the surrounding areas. The blaze reportedly startedÂ in a home-slash-auto-shop onÂ Laverne and spread next door to the A-1 Custom Packaging warehouseÂ (which transfersÂ large quantities of various industrialÂ liquidsÂ into smaller bottles for distribution). Some of thoseÂ stored chemicalsÂ (including the bright red petroleum additive visible in the shotÂ above) made their wayÂ into drainage ditches and culverts flowing into Spring Branch itself.

The red additive is non-water-solubleÂ and has beenÂ getting pushed aroundÂ by contract clean-up crews downstream to stop the spread. But contractors cannot, the city says, catchÂ the pesticideÂ that also madeÂ itsÂ way into the same drainage channels, asÂ itÂ dissolves inÂ water.Â It’s still unclear how much of the 500 gallons or soÂ thought to have been stored at the site made it all the way into Spring Branch (which flows into Buffalo Bayou south of I-10), but some water quality test results are due backÂ laterÂ today.

River Running Red

77080, Buffalo Bayou, Chemical Spills, Fires, Industrial Accidents, Pollution, Spring-Branch, Water Quality

05/05/16 11:45am

What’s On Fire in Spring Branch This Morning And Who the City Says Should Worry About It

Spring Branch

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Smoke Plume at 1700 Laverne from Texas Medical Center

Update, 12:30 pm: Firefighters are reportedly being warned to watch out for live ammo; also, here’s some video of one of this morning’s explosions.

Update, May 6: The chemicals released by yesterday’sÂ fireÂ turnedÂ Spring Branch Creek blood red — photo and more info here.

Shelter in Place Area, 5/5/2016 The fire department postedÂ a long-distance shot this morning of theÂ A1 Custom Packaging warehouse,Â currently on fire near the intersection of Laverne St. and Spring Branch Dr. north of Longpoint Dr. The 4-alarm blaze (shown aboveÂ from nearly 9 miles awayÂ looking out over 59 acrossÂ Upper Kirby)Â is about a quarter mile from Spring Branch Elementary School, which KPRC reports is beingÂ evacuated. Roughly 500 students and teachers are being bussedÂ to the Coleman Community Coliseum about 5 miles west-by-southwest, at 1050 Dairy Ashford Rd.

Noting the release of hazardous chemicals, the city’s emergency notification systemÂ recommends that anyone not evacuating the square formed by Blalock Rd., Bingle Rd., Westview Dr., and Hammerly Blvd. (shaded in red on the map above) should close theirÂ windows, turn off the AC and ventilation systems, andÂ maybe have a go atÂ sealingÂ upÂ cracksÂ with duct tape and plastic sheeting.

Fires, Industrial Buildings, Spring-Branch

Smoke Signals from Laverne St.

04/28/16 10:15am

Cleburne Cafeteria Now Being Rebuilt on Bissonnet After Second Destruction by Fire

Restaurants, West University

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3606 Bissonnet St., Greenway/Upper Kirby, Houston, 77005

Construction fencing is already up around the Cleburne Cafeteria, which burned down for the second timeÂ at 3606Â Bissonnet St. earlier this week.Â The 75-year-old cafeteria businessÂ was bought by Nick and Pat Mickelis in 1952Â at its original location on Cleburne and Fannin streets (which was recently occupied by DiverseWorks for a brief pre-MATCH stint, and currently houses the Zoya Tommy art gallery). The cafeteria moved to the Bissonnet spotÂ in 1969; shortlyÂ after Nick Mickelis’s death in 1989, the buildingÂ burned down for the first time.

Restaurant Re-Reconstruction

77005, Construction, Fires, Greenway, Restaurants, West University

04/08/16 3:15pm

This Morning’s LyondellBasell Refinery Fire Put Out 19 Hours after Yesterday’s ExxonMobil Refinery Fire

Houston Ship Channel

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Fire at LyondellBassell Refinery, 12000 Lawndale St., Houston, 77017

News choppers millingÂ aroundÂ the LyondellBasell refinery at 12000 Lawndale St. this morning, just west of the 610 bridge over the Ship Channel, caught some shots of billowing black smoke and flames at the facility, which have since beenÂ put out.Â The company reports that heavy fuel oil and cleaning fluids burnedÂ after a Coker unit caught fire around 10AM for reasons yet unknown.Â Â TheÂ Houston fire department suggested until about 11:15 that folks please stay indoors and try not to letÂ in any fumesÂ in nextdoor Manchester, as well as south and west as far as Park Place Blvd. and Broadway St.; students at nearby Chavez High, Deady Middle School, and Rucker Elementary were also included in the shelter-in-placeÂ fun.

After burning for about 2 hours, the fire was put out just before noonÂ — not nearly as speedily asÂ yesterday’s fire at the ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown, which started aroundÂ 4:40PM and wasÂ out by just afterÂ 5. That fire’s cause is also unknown; noÂ injuries were reportedÂ in either incident.

Booming on the Ship Channel

77017, Fires, Houston Ship Channel, Industrial Accidents, Industrial Properties, Manchester, Refineries

03/14/16 5:00pm

Nightclub Hughes Hangar Secures Doors for Sudden Takeoff from Washington Ave

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Hughes Hangar, 2811 Washington Ave., Houston, 77007

Hughes Hangar, 2811 Washington Ave., Houston, 77007 Hughes Hangar is finished with the spot at 2811 Washington Ave., behind Affection clothing boutique at the corner with Epstein Ct. The gastropub-nightclub announced on social media on Saturday that “everything is priced at $4.00” and that the business would close for good at the end of the night. The club posted earlier in the week about an electrical fire that knocked out audio and internet systems; posts to the venue’s Twitter and Facebook accounts on Thursday assured customers that the space would be open for the weekend, though the bar would be running cash only until credit card infrastructure was repaired.

Weekend Getaway

77007, Bars, Fires, Nigthlcubs, Openings and Closings, Retaurants, Washington Ave.

Bars and Clubs

01/04/16 1:45pm

Fire Smokes Out The Eagle from Montrose Nest Back to Former Franklin St. Dungeon

by John Nova Lomax

Fires, Montrose

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The Eagle, 611 Hyde Park Blvd, Avondale, Houston, 77006

A Saturday-afternoon fire has temporarily flushed Montrose bar The Eagle from its roost at 611 Hyde Park Blvd — day-drinkers at the hotspot’s newish location reported smelling smoke and seeing lights flicker just before a manager ran downstairs to the first-floor bar area in the converted Depression Era-home to hustle patrons and staffers out. Owner Jay Allen told KTRKâ€™s Deborah Wrigley that the permit had been approved for an already-installed sprinkler system in the building, but the City hadn’t hooked up the water yet.Â (No injuries were reported.)

Despite heavy smoke and fire damage to the second and third floors and water damage to the first, owner Jay Allen vows that the club will swoop back to its Montrose aerie (pictured above during the 2015 Pride season) as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Eagle is screaming again (albeit only on Sundays) at its old bayouside digs downtown — â€œthe dungeonâ€ in the basement space at 709 Franklin —Â until repairs on the Hyde Park building are completed.

Back To the Underground

77006, Bars and Clubs, Fires, Montrose, Nightlife

Energy Corridor

07/09/15 2:15pm

A Park Row Hotel’s Long Burnout

Fires, Hotels

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Fire at Courtyard By Marriott Hotel, 18010 Park Row Dr., Ten Oaks, Park Row, Energy Corridor, Houston

12 hours after the Courtyard by Marriott under construction at the corner of Park Row and Barker Cypress burst into flames, fire crews are still dumping water on the building, a reader reports. Here’s a post-conflagration view of the soaking going on at Texas Western Hospitality’s hotel project. The 135-room, 4-story hotel on a 5.2-acre site at 18010 Park Row Dr., next door to the West Campus of Texas Children’s Hospital, had been scheduled to open in October. No injuries have been reported.

2-alarm fire burns unfinished hotel in west Houston [Houston Chronicle]
Two more hotels to rise in the Energy Corridor [Houston Business Journal]

Photo: Brian Walz

Courtyard by Marriott

77084, Energy-Corridor, Fires, Hotels

Bars and Clubs

06/19/15 10:15am

Watching a Masked Arsonist Set Fire to an Ice House by the Tracks in Spring

Crime, Fires, Old Town Spring

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When an unidentified arsonist wearing a face mask last Thursday spread what appears to be gasoline onto the railroad-track-facing back porch of the Cross Track Ice House at 200 Magnolia St. in Old Town Spring — just 2 miles southeast of the new ExxonMobil campus — footage of the scene and the fire’s initial moments from a security camera aimed at the porch somehow survived the blaze.

Whodunit?

77373, Bars and Clubs, Crime, Fires, Old Town Spring, Videos

05/26/15 11:30am

The Crispy Remains of the House at 116 Westheimer

Fires, Hazards, Lower Westheimer, Montrose

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Burnt Home at 116 Westheimer Rd. at Bagby St., Montrose, Houston

Burnt Home at 116 Westheimer Rd. at Bagby St., Montrose, Houston While much of the rest of Houston is recovering from — or still dealing with — high water after last night’s torrential rains, the long-vacant house at 116 Westheimer Rd. is showing off the scars it incurred from a disaster of a different sort. A fire raged through the structure Friday night.

The 1904 building is adjacent to the Jus’ Mac macaroni and cheese outlet in the 106 Westheimer strip center at the corner of Bagby St. A Swamplot reader sent in these photos showing the home as it appeared this morning:

Fire This Time

Fires, Hazards, Lower Westheimer, Montrose

Disaster Aftermath

05/22/15 3:30pm

Mix at Midtown Garage Fire Knocked a Bunch of Upper Level Parking Spaces Out of Commission

Fires, Midtown, Parking

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Parking Garage, Mix at Midtown, Milam St. at Elgin St., Midtown, Houston

Parking Garage, Mix at Midtown, Milam St. at Elgin St., Midtown, Houston The parking garage behind the Mix at Midtown retail center between Louisiana and Milam south of Elgin St. is still in operation after last week’s fire, but photos sent to Swamplot yesterday from the scene show that the steel 3-level structure behind 24 Hour Fitness, Holley’s Seafood Restaurant, Piola, and other businesses facing Milam St. isn’t operating at capacity. At least a dozen parking spaces on the middle and top level are blocked off, noted as unsafe because of fire damage to the structure: