Cars Catch Fire in Houston Parking Garage

Dec. 18, 2007
A car caught fire and the flames spread to two others.

HOUSTON --

A car caught fire and the flames spread to two others in a Texas Medical Center parking garage on Tuesday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Houston firefighters said the fire broke out in the garage on Fannin Street near Methodist Hospital at about 6 a.m.

Barbara Ray parked her car on the fourth floor, right next to the car that accidentally caught fire.

"I was here early because my husband is undergoing heart surgery," she said. "All I know is she parked her car and the car blew up."

Arson investigators said the two-alarm fire caused a major backup on Fannin Street because part of the road had to be shut down. Crews had their trucks and equipment on the street. Part of the METRORail system was also shut down and passengers were transferred to buses.

Many people were forced to move their cars as arson officials investigated the incident.

"Well at first I didn't think it was an emergency situation until the firefighters came up to our windows and said get out of your vehicles now and go down the fire escape," Debra Castillo said.

Laura Goehrs parked in the garage early this morning.

"It's not really an inconvenience. It's just more of anxiety not knowing how your car is when you go up and look at it," she said.

Some levels of the parking garage were closed as workers cleaned up the damage.

The car that caught fire was destroyed and the other two were damaged, officials said.

Investigators said the fire appeared to have been accidental.

Copyright 2007 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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