Family rescued from balcony as intense fire destroys 16 apartments

Jeff Ehling Image
Monday, February 26, 2018
Fire rescue
Family rescued from balcony as their apartment was engulfed in flames.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Three children and a woman were rescued from a fast-moving apartment fire in northwest Harris County.

ABC13's Jeff Ehling provides insights from the scene of a 3-alarm apartment fire in northwest Harris County.

The fire started in building nine of the Cornerstone Village Apartments around 1:30 a.m. Monday.

It quickly spread to three alarms.

Firefighters were able to rescue a woman and her children from a second-floor window.

Incredible video captured the family being brought down a ladder from a back balcony while the flames raged behind them.

"We went to the closet to get clothes and shoes," said Margaret Williams. "We seen the smoke collapsing in the roof inside the apartment. I just grabbed my kids and went."

Just before 4 a.m. a puppy was also rescued from the building.

One building collapsed because of the fire damage and is a total loss.

Sixteen units were destroyed.