Many homeless after northwest Harris County apartment fire

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Sunday, October 4, 2015
People are homeless after a fire at an apartment complex in NW Harris Co.
Forty people are homeless after an intense fire at an apartment complex in northwest Harris County.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- More than two dozen people are homeless after an apartment fire in northwest Harris County early Saturday morning.

Crews put out flames into the morning at the building on Loch Katrine near Tain Drive around 3am. The fire started at an apartment on the second floor of the complex. Sixteen apartments are damaged. Forty people are now homeless, but no one was hurt.

Firefighters say a woman getting home from work saw the flames, called 911 and alerted residents of the fire, perhaps saving lives.

Firefighters put out the fire quickly, but now, investigators are trying to figure out how it all began.

Harris County Fire Captain Hensley said, "We've talked to several witnesses who actually saw the fire on the balcony in that area, so we're talking to witnesses, and I have investigators on the porch right now looking through fire debris and they're trying to figure out what caught on fire."

Officials say they're looking at a fire pit near the second-floor balcony, as well as a few couches that went up in flames.

Three firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation, but are OK.

The Red Cross is working with fire victims displaced by the fire.