HFD crews expect office building that set fire near West Beltway to collapse

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A fence was put up around an office building that caught fire Wednesday evening in southwest Houston.

Crews left the scene at about 1 p.m. Thursday. They had stayed assessing the extent of the damage, as there is concern that the building's walls may continue to collapse.

The Houston Fire Department said the fire started at about 5:25 p.m. Wednesday at a large office building near Bellaire Boulevard and W. Sam Houston Parkway. Firefighters said it happened in an electrical panel near a stairwell and that shifting winds brought flames through the building.

"I can say that the initial call came as a check for fire around an electrical panel of some sort," Brent Taylor, a spokesperson for HFD, said. "Doesn't necessarily mean the fire was electrical, but it was something that they were looking at (Thursday)."

On Wednesday, smoke could be seen and smelled miles away. At one point, about 120 firefighters were working to put the fire under control.

SEE ORIGINAL REPORT: No injuries reported after 3-alarm fire in building on W. Sam Houston Parkway at Bellaire, HFD says

HFD said there were people in the building when the fire started, but thankfully, everyone was able to get out safely.

An employee of the Tran Law Group said building management told them they were shutting off the power to the building because of an electrical issue. She said they smelled smoke, but that is not unusual because they are surrounded by restaurants.

Employees packed up and headed downstairs to leave, and that is when the employees said they saw smoke and the smell got stronger, but they still did not know there was a fire.

HFD Deputy Chief Bryan Sky-Eagle told ABC13 that the water supply was their biggest challenge in fighting this fire and that it was too dangerous for them to work in once the walls started coming down.

"Once the roof started going, you could start seeing the walls buckled in. We do have a major collapse hazard, so right now, we are moving everybody out. We are stopping the attack as much as we can to move crews back. We anticipate a collapse any moment," Sky-Eagle said.

Taylor explained that crews quickly plugged three hoses into the one hydrant closer to the building upon arrival, which caused the pressure to drop. Eventually, they were able to run a line from a hydrant just under a mile away, which required lane closures.

Residents in the area may have noticed a drop in water pressure since crews had to divert water to work on the fire.

About 60 CenterPoint customers in the area were without power Thursday morning after the fire department had to ask the energy provider to cut the power for safety reasons. It was restored as of Thursday afternoon.