Vacant Hotel in Harris County, TX, Catches Fire for Third Time
May 23—A large commercial fire at a vacant hotel in Channelview caused a second and third story collapse and prompted road closures Friday morning.
There were no injuries reported and by 12:30 p.m., the blaze had been quelled, according to a Harris County Fire Marshal's Office X post commending firefighters from several agencies who "worked together to knock out this fire."
The building, located on the 15800 block of East Freeway, was a Fairfield Inn & Suites. Officials said the building was vacant and boarded. Online listings for the hotel show it as temporarily closed.
The cause of the fire hadn't been determined as of late Friday morning, according to the fire marshal's office.
An initial call came from a passerby at 8:52 a.m., according to officials. The fire was visible from the freeway and caught on Houston TranStar video, emitting large plumes of black smoke into the air.
Officials closed parts of Sheldon Road and the east bound I-10 frontage road to allow the flow of the main water supply.
The fire marshal's office said it quickly acted to help the Channelview Fire Department fight the flames. Other agencies at the scene included Harris County ESD 12, Highlands, Crosby and Sheldon fire departments.
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