Cy-Fair firefighters rescue resident stuck in assisted living center fire in NW Harris Co.

Mycah Hatfield Image
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Elderly resident rescued from fire inside assisted living facility
SkyEye and an Eyewitness News crew captured the moments elderly residents of a northwest Harris County assisted living facility were evacuated amid a fire Tuesday morning.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Cy-Fair Fire Department was called to help evacuate a resident who was stuck in an assisted living center during a fire Tuesday morning in northwest Harris County.

It happened in the 8500 block of Copperbrook Drive at the Autumn Grove Cottage Assisted Living facility around 7:30 a.m.

By the time firefighters arrived, eight of the residents had already been evacuated to safety by two assisted living facility staff members.

Firefighters said they were able to rescue the ninth resident who was in a wheelchair.

She was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The two staff members were also taken to the hospital as a precaution.

"It was a smoke filled house," said Dennis O'Neal, who lives next door. "There was not any smoke coming through the roof, but when they opened the front door you could see the smoke billowing out the front door."

Firefighters said the building's sprinklers helped contain the fire until they arrived. According to officials, the fire started in one of the bathrooms.

The facility is set to be closed due to the fire. Residents were bussed to a sister community in the Houston area.

"Autumn Grove Cottages is extremely thankful for a responsive team that took immediate action to keep our residents and team members safe, as well as the timely response and assistance of the Cy-Fair Fire Department," the facility said in a statement following the fire.

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