The fire happened at the Southpoint apartments in southeast Houston at about 1am Thursday. Hours after the fire, the family of the woman, who's been identified as Carrie Jordan, removed her from life support.
The early morning fire quickly engulfed four units at the Southpoint apartment complex. Residents awakened by smoke alarms and screaming neighbors scrambled to escape the intense flames.
Neighbor Jennifer Morris said, "I woke up and I smelled something burning. I turned on my light and I could barely see anything for all the smoke. I went out to my living room and I could see black smoke coming out of my light switch sockets. I ran and got my phone and I ran out of the house barefoot."
But not everyone did. The baby boy identified by family members as Nicolas Jordan, just two weeks old, and his mother Carrie were transported to the hospital. Neighbors say Carrie went back into the apartment to look for a family pet.
Cliff Jordan is Carrie's brother. Soon after the fire, he told us he was hopeful that his sister would pull through.
"That she's OK, that my sister makes it through this," he said. "The other stuff, and I always hear them say that stuff on TV, that everything else is just things and that can be replaced."
But by late afternoon, Cliff Jordan told us tearfully over the phone that his sister's condition has worsened, and she wouldn't survive. Little Nicolas, though, is fine, and already released from the hospital.
"He had some smoke inhalation; other than that he's going to be alright," Cliff said.
As the Jordan family grieves, the other displaced families are grateful to be alive and just beginning to put their lives back together.
Neighbor Pedro Hinojosa said, "My bedroom's a mess, my bathroom's a mess. There are holes in the wall and the ceiling. It's bad. It's all smoke damage."
Some residents are trying to determine where they still now. As for the Jordan family, Nicolas and his grandmother are staying with family friends.
