Two alarms' worth of Houston firefighters helped save a burial flag from a roaring condominium fire near the Galleria on Tuesday.
A witness inside a high-rise apartment in the 7800 block of San Felipe Street spotted smoke rising from the nearby Sugar Hill Condominiums around 12:30 p.m., according to Houston Fire Department Deputy Chief Herman Gonzales. Not knowing the address, he called 9-1-1 saying he saw smoke in the area, but first-responding firefighters initially had trouble finding the source of the smoke.
Firefighters eventually pinpointed the fire inside the condo complex in the 1000 block of Bering Drive, where the found heavy flames shooting through the roof. Fire had reached into the shared attic space, so crews pulled a second alarm for more help in case the flames spread to more condos.
Crews eventually put a stop to the fire, containing flame damage to two condos. Two more condos were damaged by water during firefighting efforts, Gonzales said.
As firefighters tapped out hot spots inside the building, one firefighter dug through the ash and rubble to retrieve what appeared to be a military burial American flag inside a case, which appeared to be undamaged. He handed it to the emotional tenant, who declined an interview.
HFD arson investigators are working to determine what sparked the blaze.
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