2 injured in Channelview house fire after family tried to stay warm with fire on front porch

CHANNELVIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- A fire built on the front porch of a mobile home burned out of control Sunday morning, critically injuring one man who tried to rescue someone believed to still be inside.

It happened on Pecan Street near Lakeside around 3:45 a.m.

As flames consumed the home, the man went inside hoping to save a woman he thought was still there, but she had already escaped through a back window, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital with burns and smoke inhalation. The woman suffered minor cuts to her hand.

Investigators ruled the fire accidental. It began as a warming fire inside a metal barrel on the porch, according to the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office.

The Houston area has experienced a 187% increase in the number of fires over the past week, according to the American Red Cross, and more fire-related deaths have been reported in one week than the last three months combined.

It was at least the second fire in the Houston area overnight that started after residents tried to stay warm. In east Houston, a massive fire destroyed a home and killed three dogs on Avenue C. The family there was not injured in the blaze.