Four Houston firefighters are dead after battling a massive 5-alarm fire. It happened on the southwest side of Houston at a restaurant that was inside The Southwest Inn off Interstate 59 near Hillcroft.
More than 100 firefighters were on the scene, and many were dehydrated, said Fire Chief Ruy Lozano. The temperature was 91 and humidity was high, making it feel like 95 degrees. It took more than an hour for crews to get the blaze under control. They’re still dealing with hotspots.
A restaurant worker alerted the front-desk clerk that a fire had erupted at the vegetarian Indian eatery. The pair then went door to door telling the 45 registered guests to flee. There was no immediate word whether all escaped or any were injured.
Southwest Freeway was shutdown for a time cause the smoke was making it unsafe to drive thru. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.