'Everything went up in flames': Residents escape damaging southwest Houston apartment fire

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A fire broke out at an apartment complex in southwest Houston Sunday afternoon, according to the Houston Fire Department.

The fire department first received reports about an apartment fire at around 1 p.m., Deputy Chief James Pennington told ABC13.

Pennington said that when officials arrived at 3939 Omeara Drive, they found heavy fire coming from the first and second floor of the apartment complex and started containing it.

"I saw the fire coming out, I saw my neighbor coming out, so I had to get my mom out. She was in a wheelchair," Irving Vann, a resident who was next door to the fire, said. "I tried to help my neighbor stop the fire with the fire extinguisher, but it was too much, and everything went up in flames."

"It was terrible, coming all through the roof, all the apartments," Everett Summons, another resident, said. "I could feel it on the porch, and it's across the way."

Summons said that he didn't see anyone stuck in the complex when he ran to check, however, Deputy Pennington said that crews found and brought out cats and dogs during their search.

There are 24 units total in the building, and eight of them are heavily damaged by fire, while the rest of the units were left with water damage, Pennington said.

According to Pennington, first responders looked at two people, and one was taken to a nearby hospital. Another person was evaluated and released, Pennington added.

It is unclear what started the fire, but Pennington explained that the apartment complex is older, doesn't have sprinklers, and has a flat roof, making it harder to put out fires.