A man was killed when fire ripped through his home overnight in the Aldine area in north Harris County. A woman and two children were able to get out safely, according to fire officials.
The fire started just before 1 a.m. Monday at a home in the 1300 block of Old Greens Road near the Hardy Toll Road.
Video from the scene shows how the home was completely charred.
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said the man who was killed appeared to have been trying to get out of the house when he died. So far, they aren’t sure if he died because of smoke inhalation or burns.
The woman and two children who were able to get out safely were taken to the hospital for minor smoke inhalation and will be OK, officials said.
Though the cause of the fire is still under investigation, the fire marshal’s office gave a warning to people trying to stay warm.
“Don’t have a lot of things that can catch fire within three feet of a space heater. Make sure they are on a flat surface. Just make sure that they are not going to tip over,” Brandi Dumas with the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said. “Also, one thing that’s huge — I know it’s cold and we are trying to stay warm, but if you leave a room with a space heater, go ahead and shut that off.”
Investigators said it’s not yet known if the fire had anything to do with a space heater or not. Officials just wanted to give the reminder since residents will be trying to stay extra warm the next few days.