HOUSTON — Three sisters died in a condo fire in southwest Houston Sunday morning, according to the Houston Fire Department.
This happened on Albacore Drive, which is near the intersection of Beechnut Drive and Bissonnet Street. HFD said they received the call around 5:44 a.m. and responded within four minutes.
The fire was contained to one apartment unit, new HFD Chief Thomas Muñoz said at the scene.
Meybis Evelen Zelaya told KHOU 11 News the victims were her three daughters, Ana Julia Melara Zelaya, 8, Evelen Del Carmen Melara Zelaya, 15, and Julisa Adamari Melara Zelaya, 11.
Meybis's 21-year-old son, Oscar, managed to escape the fire and made attempts to go back in for others. He was taken to an area hospital and is back home recovering, according to Meybis.
No firefighters were reported hurt in the fire.
"I want to say the members of the fire department did an excellent job. They take this personal," said HFD Deputy Chief James Pennington. "They treat all these people like it's family, so they're grieving just as much."
Arson investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. Meybis believes the fire started from an electrical outlet that made the sofa catch fire.