'Not gonna be OK' Family shocked after grandmother dies in house fire
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A grandmother was killed and a father and his two young daughters are in the hospital following a house fire in northwest Harris County.
Firefighters were called to the home on Trementina Drive near Gavin Place Lane around 5 a.m. Friday.
Officials tell ABC13 crews arrived and found a family in the front yard, but sadly, the grandmother had already passed away.
According to Rachel Neutzler with the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, the family said they found the grandmother on the front lawn.
Officials say the father was taken to the hospital with cuts to his body after trying to get his daughters out of the home. All three were treated for smoke inhalation.
"We all know smoke is what kills most people. Smoke is very dangerous. It's very hot and lots of bad chemicals are in it, so more than likely that's what happened," Neutzler said.
The mother was not home at the time of the fire.
"I'm not gonna be OK. My family is not gonna be OK. This is all new, and it's very shocking," said a relative at the scene.
According to a woman claiming to be the victim's daughter, the victim was in her 50s and had seven children. She was staying at the home to help take her granddaughters to school.
Investigators say the fire was contained to the grandmother's bedroom in the front of the house.
"It's really important to have an exit strategy. So know two ways out of wherever you are, whether it's your front door or window, because what can happen is a fire can block one of your exits, and you need to have a second way out," Neutzler explained.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story said that, based on information given at the time from the fire marshal's office, the mother self-extricated from the house during the fire. That was incorrect. Authorities have said the mother was not home during the incident.
