HOUSTON — A pregnant mother and her three children made it out of their home safely after a downed power line likely sparked a fire at their northwest Houston house early Thursday morning.
Around 4 a.m., a line of strong storms moved through the Houston area, bringing wind gusts of up to 40 mph.
Beatriz Velez said all five of her family members -- including her three children, ages 8, 7, and 3 -- escaped the fire, which she said started in the attic of the home in the 10200 block of Crooks Way Court. She said a falling tree pulled down nearby power lines onto their roof.
Velez said her three children were in a room just under the attic, scared and huddled together due to the storm.
“The attic it’s right underneath their room, and when I look back, their little faces come to my mind, and I’m just glad they’re okay,” she said.
She said she was able to put them in jackets before rushing them out of the door bare-footed.
“We’re all barefooted, my kids, we all ran out, because I thought our house was going to explode, that’s how bad it was,” said Velez.
She said two loud booms that sound like explosions woke them up. The lights went out, and then they smelled smoke.
“I thought oh, it’s just the thunder, the lights went off but no, it was more than that,” Velez said.
Velez said her family was given shoes by a neighbor and they stood out in the pour rain for hours, waiting to see if their home was all right.
The family says they moved into the house just two years ago.
Cy- Fair volunteer firefighters worked quickly to salvage what they could of the house, belonging to Velez, her husband, and their three small kids.
But despite the terrifying ordeal, this mom of three, soon to be four says she’s still grateful.
“I feel very blessed to be alive with my kids, that’s all that matters. I look back, and I’m like my kids are okay and that’s all I care about, trust me. and whenever they say it’s materialistic things, it really is.”
Fire officials the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department confirmed that a tree land on a power line which then sparked the fire.
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