BREAKING..... Fires Reported in Galveston

[jhamps10]

Just reported it on CNN.

[caribepr]

No television here...do they say the cause yet, because my imagination is running and CNN is loading slower than anything else, if at all, online for me.

[HurricaneQueen]

Fire chief said they would not go out again tonight after putting out a convenience store fire earlier this evening. Trucks and equipment were being put up for the duration of the storm. Hope it not too serious and that the rain will put it out.

[jhamps10]

Well I can confirm to you that Fire trucks WERE responding as of 15 minutes ago. I heard the sirens over the TV myself, and saw the trucks leaving the EOC. Must be big if they said they were going to stay put.

[HurricaneQueen]

Darn. We've been having feeder bands (SW FL) all night and just lost our upper cable stations-no CNN, FOX, MSNBC, just local stations. At least, we have S2k and broadband is still working!!!

[huricanwatcher]

3 buildings totally involved on west side of galveston ... reporting about it on CNN now

historical building.. involved near marina...

[SWFLMom]

LOL I'm on hold with Comcast, not that I expect it to do any good.

[jhamps10]

On weather channel two, BIG FIRE!!!!

[Stratosphere747]

Post office and 20th Street..That's right around the strand...

[caribepr]

Sounds bad, but I was really scared it was a refinery...

[wlfpack81]

No people in the building per CNN whose guy on the ground talked w/authorities. More than likely I'm guessing a transformer blew or a power line came down on one of the building and sparked the fire.[/code]

[Brent]

The wind is spreading it... CNN has live pictures.

[HurricaneQueen]

Houston station says it's three big Victorian homes that are completely destroyed on Winnie (?) between 19th & 20th near the Strand. The winds are really fanning it. Mayor says winds gusting between 100 and 120 mph on Galveston Island. Pictures are up now from earlier. Fire is apparently now out. May or may not be houses-look more like business structures.

PS Any word on the cable, SWFLMom? It comes on in short burst and then goes out.

[djtil]

hate to step on the mayor of houstons toes...but its very unlikely that galveston is seeing 100+ mph winds right now.

[TexasStooge]

NOT GOOD!!!!

[Pebbles]

Fires are not out.... I'm looking at the live pics on TV

[HurricaneQueen]

dj- you are correct. TV 2 just said gusts to 65.

Lynn

[dixiebreeze]

Sadly, the fires are in the Galveston Historic District, including one building erected just a year after the 1900 'Cane. Fiery devastation.

[HurricaneQueen]

Update. The main building was the old Eagles lodge (oldest one in Tx according to the local person reporting. It was sold about 3 years ago and currently housed an art studio (Henderson's?). Also, reports are that a woman was burned. All of this according to Houston TV 2.

[jimvb]

Now I've seen everything. A fire in a hurricane. I saw it on CNN. What struck me about the fire is that it is going on during a hurricane, so the winds, probably 50-70 mph, are superfanning the flames and blowing the sparks all over the place making it look like a snowstorm, except sparks instead of snow - it's like a devilish dance. It should be pouring rain now; wouldn't that put out the blaze? But I remember during Isabel as the storm was going away, that the winds were still howling at fast speeds, but there was hardly any rain. I suppose that may happen on the west side of a hurricane, and I think that may be happening in Galveston now. I bet there is no more than a light to moderate rain going on there now, certainly not enough to put out the fire.

Everyone was afraid Galveston would be under water by now. Now I fear the possibility of the city being burnt to the ground. We have had serious fires and hurricanes in the past few years, but this is both of them put together.