In total, 16 units were damaged in the fire at the Woodtrail Apartments in the 9900 block of Richmond Avenue near Briarpark Drive.
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Firefighters said it doesn't appear that anyone was injured in the fast-moving blaze.
One person was evaluated at the scene, but they were not taken to a hospital, the Houston Fire Department tweeted.
A resident at the apartments captured a video that shows the flames and smoke. You can see the footage in the video player above.
The first call for help came in around 7:40 a.m. Monday. Within four minutes, the first HFD unit arrived at the scene.
The fire started in an upstairs unit, firefighters said.
As SkyEye was heading to the scene, it saw thick, heavy smoke coming from the complex as far as 20 miles away.
Upon arrival, video captured flames shooting out from the top of the building.
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Flames shooting out of west Houston apartment complex, HFD says
Crews at the scene said the flames began to quickly spread in the attic, which made it a challenge to get under control.
The deputy fire chief said 80 firefighters were at the scene, switching out and taking frequent breaks due to the high temperatures. The hot summer heat adds another challenge to firefighters' jobs, the deputy chief said.
The entire building was damaged, leaving several families without a place to stay.
"There was already firefighters everywhere. It was already going on by the time I got out. Luckily, everything's fine. We are fine," resident Alyssa Guerra said.
ABC13 crews saw residents outside the building, holding their pets and trying to figure out what to do
Many of them got out and grabbed what they could in just a few seconds.
ABC13 spoke to one resident who lived next door to the apartment unit where the fire may have started.
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"All we did was grab our dog and get out. We didn't think it was going to be this bad. I didn't think to grab anything. Now, my whole apartment is underwater and under fire. I literally just lost everything. I'm not even wearing socks right now," said Manuel Nava, the resident.
It also happens to be Nava's birthday.
"Today, I turned 23 years old, and I just lost everything. I don't even have insurance," he said.
The arson team was at the scene, investigating the exact cause of the fire, which is still unknown.
Crews were also going to go back into the building for a secondary search to make sure nobody was inside.
The Red Cross is assisting those who don't have a place to stay.
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