Southwest Inn fire
Southwest Inn after the fire
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| Date | May 31, 2013 |
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| Venue | Southwest Inn |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Coordinates | 29°42′40″N 95°30′13″W / 29.711046°N 95.503516°WCoordinates: 29°42′40″N 95°30′13″W / 29.711046°N 95.503516°W |
| Type | Fire |
| Deaths | 4 firefighters |
| Non-fatal injuries | 12 firefighters |
The Southwest Inn fire in Houston, Texas on May 31, 2013 was a fire in an Indian restaurant that spread to an adjoining hotel. The fire claimed the biggest casualty loss for the Houston Fire Department since its inception. Four firefighters were killed and 13 others were injured while fighting the five-alarm fire at the Southwest Inn located in Southwest Houston.
The Southwest Inn was located in the Greater Sharpstown district of Southwest Houston, along a portion of U.S. Route 59 named the "Southwest Freeway". The hotel was previously called the Roadrunner Inn. It was owned by Criterium Systems, Incorporated, a company in California. An Indian resurant called "Bhojan" was attached to the hotel. The restaurant described itself as a Gujarati-style thali vegetarian restaurant. The hotel could hold up to 100 guests. Some people used the hotel as a rooming house and stayed there for months at a time.
Since 2009, according to fire inspection records, the hotel had received citations for issues in the overall fire alarm system; smoke detectors that were not working in several rooms; issues with fire suppression systems; expired permits; and obstructed exits. In 2011 HFD's database stated that the hotel was "in compliance" with regulations. In 2012 additional citations appeared on the HFD database. City of Houston inspectors had also cited the restaurant for violations. The restaurant's most recent citation was in March 2013, for failure to clean grease traps. In May 8, 2013, the final inspection of the hotel property had the result of "no action required".
The fire began on May 31, 2013 in the Bhojan Indian restaurant. It was reported at 12:09pm during the restaurant's lunch service. At the time of the fire, 45 guests were registered at the hotel. The front desk clerk and another hotel employee began knocking on doors and windows in the hotel, notifying customers that there was a fire and they needed to evacuate. Twenty HFD vehicles were at the scene with lights flashing. They included fire trucks and ambulances. According to HFD, the four fatalities occurred twelve minutes after the arrival of the first engine, when the roof collapsed.
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