El Lago fire damages 12 apartments
By: MARY ALYS CHERRY, Citizen Staff

Several El Lago families started putting their lives back together Sunday after losing their homes in a four-alarm apartment blaze on Saturday night.

Nearly one hundred firefighters from all over the Bay Area fought the blaze that damaged or destroyed 12 units of the Forest Cove Apartments, nestled in a wooded grove at 2401 N. Repsdorph near Loch Lake Drive in the small community near Seabrook.

Seabrook Fire Chief Ray Cook said six upstairs units were completely destroyed and at least six others suffered smoke and water damage in the summer evening blaze.

Cause of the blaze is yet to be determined, but Cook said fire officials thought it was accidental and probably started by a an unattended cigarette.

As the fire victims looked at the debris Sunday, all felt lucky that none lost their lives. One fireman was briefly overcome by the heat and was treated at the scene.

One of the Forest Cove tenants, Richard Manning, was back Sunday looking at what was left of his apartment, which was heavily damaged by smoke and water.

He told a Local 2 reporter he could do nothing but stand across the street and watch his home burn. "I've got real good neighbors here," he said, adding, "I'm gonna miss them." He said he had no insurance.

The Red Cross was at the scene and preparing to help the victims start their lives over, providing for food and shelter as needed. Cook said he thought all found a place to stay that night.

When the Seabrook Fire Department saw what they were up against, the call went out for help.

In no time, they got that help from units from Nassau Bay, Webster, Kemah, League City, Pasadena, Friendswood, La Porte and Deer Park. The Clear Lake Emergency Medical Corps also was called.

The blaze is the second big apartment fire here in the last six months.

The other came Dec. 22 when a fire left 22 families living in the Piper's Cove Apartments on El Dorado Boulevard homeless just three days before Christmas.

Those units have not been yet been rebuilt; but the holidays weren't quite as bleak for the victims as might have been expected. Donations poured in after word of the first spread and the complex delivered 200 presents to the three children who lost their homes.

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Fire Leaves Renters Without Insurance With Nothing
Red Cross Volunteers Help Victims Get Shelter, Food, Meds

HOUSTON -- At least a dozen families are trying to pick up the pieces after a three-alarm fire destroyed several units at a Seabrook apartment complex, Local 2 reported Monday.

Video

Forest Cove Apartments, Repsdorph and Pebblebrook, Seabrook
Fire Victim Advises Renters To Get Insurance

The fire on Repsdorph and Pebblebrook at the Forest Cove Apartments broke out at about 11 p.m. Saturday.

Four units were destroyed and eight other units suffered heavy smoke and water damage.

Officials said many of the residents did not have renter's insurance.

"Now I have to start all over again -- no help … no insurance. So I tell everybody out there, if you have an apartment, get renters insurance because this is sad. It could happen to anybody at anytime," resident Adriana Sepulveda told Local 2.

No injuries were reported but one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

Volunteers with the Red Cross are helping the victims get shelter, food, medication and vouchers for other needed items.

One resident, who is an uninsured cancer patient, lost all of her medication in the fire. She was placed in a motel.

Other residents were placed in other units, although some of those units did not have air conditioning.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Copyright 2005 by Click2Houston.com

Video Available Here

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Nearly 100 firefighters battle three-alarm apt. blaze in Seabrook
ABC13 Eyewitness News

(6/12/05 – SEABROOK, TX) — Several residents in Seabrook have a lot of cleaning up to do, because of a fire that wiped out their apartment building.

Four units in the Forest Cove complex on Repsdorph near Loch Lake Drive burned late Saturday night. They were all upstairs apartments. The four below were also heavily damaged because of smoke and water.

Nearly 100 firefighters battled the three alarm blaze. Luckily, everyone made it out with their lives.

Fire victim Adriana Sepulveda said, "I'm a cancer patient … Get renters insurance. It can happen to anybody at any time."

Investigators are still looking for the cause of the fire. One firefighter suffered minor injuries because of heat exhaustion.
 

Copyright © 2005, KTRK-TV

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If you have any photographs from this fire, please email them to brian.berlin@kemahfire.com

KFD Firefighters Rest After Battling Blaze

Photo by Allison Dean

Photo by Allison Dean

Engine-1

Photo by Allison Dean

See Also: Forest Bend VFD Photos Page (External Link)