Pumper Catches Fire During Houston Warehouse Blaze

A three-alarm warehouse fire in Houston's East End scorched at least one nearby home and led to the hospitalization of a firefighter.

Firefighters were called out to a warehouse fire on North Drennan Street near Navigation Boulevard shortly after 7 p.m. Friday, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña. Firefighters met heavy smoke and flames coming from a mattress warehouse.

Within minutes, firefighters pulled a second alarm – and then a third as flamed continued to shoot through the corrugated metal building's roof, ultimately knocking down the structure's walls.

Winds forced smoke and flames south onto several homes, damaging at least one, Peña said. The extent of the damage is unclear.

Nearby residents were asked to evacuate their homes.

Elizabeth Compaen, whose mother's home backs up to the warehouse, helped usher her mom to safety as police kept people away from the scene.

"Her house is right in line with the flames right there," Compaen said. "We were just getting home and saw these flames and everything just going."

At least one firefighter was transported to the hospital as a precaution, Peña said.

Water-pressure issues forced firefighters to use pumper trucks to relay water from hydrants that were further away. During that operation, a fire engine sustained a mechanical issue, Peña said, causing it to catch fire itself.

Firefighters were still battling the blaze as of 10 p.m..

See photos of first responders at the scene above.

Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan.

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