On July 1, 2021, a fire was reported at the Inwood Garden Apartments in the Galleria area of Houston, Texas. One resident suffered critical burns, and two firefighters were treated at the scene. No cause for the fire has been determined yet. A news article suggests that the fire started on the first floor and spread to the upper floors. The fire burned uncontrolled for approximately 30 minutes before being contained by firefighters.
In June 2021, the National Fire Data Center released a report regarding civilian death rates in residential buildings from 2017 to 2019. While the report noted that “fires can occur anywhere” it analyzed the data available and identified certain risk factors for residential fires. The prime sleep period, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., accounted for nearly half (49%) of civilian fire deaths in residential fires. Fires can cause serious injuries, such as thermal burns and smoke inhalation, which were the two primary symptoms that led to death, accounting for 89% of all deaths in residential fires.
“Other unintentional, careless” actions caused nineteen percent of fatal fires in residential buildings, which was the leading known cause of residential fires. Notably, over half (51%) of fatal fires in residential buildings had an unknown cause. “Egress problems,” such as limited exits or locked exits, and “escape problems,” such as excessive travel distance to the nearest exit, were identified as factors contributing to deaths in thirty-nine percent of residential fires. Because of the complexity of fires, a victim of a fire or family member of a victim of a fire will want to ensure that they seek help from experienced, qualified attorneys to evaluate and investigate their claim.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured or killed in a fire, contact our Houston fire accident lawyers for a free, confidential consultation for a free, confidential consultation.
