Crews respond to several house fires as people across Houston area try to stay warm

CHANNELVIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- Firefighters believe two back-to-back fires in the Channelview area overnight were sparked by people trying to stay warm. One started in a fireplace and the other was caused by a space heater.

Thankfully, no one was hurt in either of the fires. Officials say this is a reminder that if you need extra heat, you need to be safe about it.

A home on Harding Street caught fire around 9 p.m. Tuesday because of a space heater, according to investigators. The person living at the home got out safely.

Video from the scene shows the aftermath of the fire. The home was nearly unrecognizable.

Then, about an hour later and about five miles away, Channelview firefighters responded to a fire at a house on Rockbrook Drive.

Firefighters said it started in the chimney. The husband was up, watching TV, when he smelled smoke. He woke up his wife and they were able to safely escape with their dog.

Investigators believe a poorly-maintained fireplace was the cause.

On Tuesday, Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Peña said crews were called to 45 fires in a 24-hour period. For context, that's 30% more than normal.

He had advice for Houstonians as the cold weather isn't over yet.

"If you're going to use a space heater, don't leave them unattended when you go to sleep. Turn those things off. Make sure you have space around those heaters to avoid any combustibles or flammables that may cause a fire. And have a working smoke detector in your home -- in every level of the house," Peña said.

Firefighters weren't just busy in Channelview. Officials responded to at least three more fires around the Houston area.

Houston firefighters were called to a home on Villawood Lane around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday.

ABC13 cameras captured a resident and dog bundled up outside.

Less than two hours later, smoke was seen coming out of the Plains Capital Bank building on Kirby Drive.

Finally, there was a fire at a home on Sunset Boulevard near Rice University.

Houston fire officials said the fire, which burned itself out, started in the furnace and one woman was taken to the hospital for a health issue not related to the fire.

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