Houston Fire Department

Severe Weather Is Here (w/Pictures!): Save Those Files, Use The Tunnels & Tip Your Pizza Guy Better (Updated: Person Hit By Lightning)

If you don't have a window, you might not realize it's 10 p.m. in parts of Houston. It's a dark and stormy night out there, as Edward George Bulwer-Lytton would say. Last night saw some major thunderstorm activity, with impressive lightning shows in some parts of town. (This being Houston, other ... More >>

Guy Tries to Rob Colonel Sanders, Gets Busted on the Roof

Those KFC #iatethebones commercials have probably gone too far. Monday, at 3:55 a.m., a man who could have been battling rage and confusion simultaneously due to maybe eating the bone or not went to exact his revenge on the fried chicken food chain location at 2701 Yale. According to Houston Poli ... More >>

All-Day Fundraiser Today at Liberty Kitchen for Injured Bartender David Brown

On Thursday, September 13, Liberty Kitchen bartender David Brown was riding his bicycle -- his main means of transportation -- down a busy stretch of Studemont that crosses White Oak Bayou when he lost his balance and plummeted 40 feet over the railing into the bayou below. Luckily for Brown, the r ... More >>

Smoke On The Freeway, No Fire In The Sky

A lot of smoke, and a little fire, slowed things to a crawl on the Southwest Freeway this afternoon. It could have been a lot worse if it had all happened an hour or two from now, given Houston drivers' penchant to rubberneck any little distraction that spices up their commute.

A Fire at the Broken Spoke

Roy de la Garza on what's next.

Roy de la Garza on The Broken Spoke Fire and What's Next

Roy de la Garza was already having a bad month before a fire destroyed his restaurant: His partner at The Broken Spoke Cafe, Catherine Duwez, had left unexpectedly to start a rival Belgian restaurant a few months prior, and business was down. "Cathy kind of threw us for a loop when she went over to ... More >>

Fire at The Broken Spoke Cafe: Photos of the Aftermath

Read about yesterday's fire at The Broken Spoke Cafe and see pictures/video from the scene. Until yesterday afternoon, The Broken Spoke Cafe was the tidy little bistro seen above. This morning, the restaurant sits shuttered after sustaining heavy fire and smoke damage when the abandoned duplex next ... More >>

Jacob Colby Garvin Arrested in Connection with Fire at Dolce Vita

Last month we reported that Dolce Vita was damaged by a fire that started early in the morning May 5 outside of the restaurant, in its Dumpster, before moving inside. Now KHOU is reporting that on June 13 the Houston Arson Bureau arrested 25-year-old Jacob Colby Garvin for allegedly setting the fire ... More >>

Rap Feud Turns Deadly In Southwest Houston

A young man killed in the parking lot of a southwest Houston McDonalds the night of May 4 was an up-and-coming Alief-area rapper, and police believe he was killed by a former bandmate who left to start a rival group. According to a criminal complaint filed in Harris County District Court, Toyurean ... More >>

The Fire That Claimed Late Nite Pie Was Arson

When late-night Midtown pizza joint Late Nite Pie burned down in February, our commenters were quick to call foul. "Two words: Stanky Arson," said commenter LoWest, in a reference to the pizza place's infamous Stanky Whore pizza. Chimed in commenter Padams below: "Two words: Insurance Fraud. That ... More >>

Local Musicians, Up Early, Remember Late Nite Pie

Photos by Chris GrayThe flames at Late Nite Pie had been extinguished by 6:45 a.m.​Midtown pizza restaurant Late Nite Pie burned some time after closing in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. ABC13.com reported that the popular post-show destination suffered "major damage" and that Houston Fir ... More >>

Abe Fiszer: Houston Fire Department Captain Resigns After Kiddy Porn Bust

According to a criminal complaint on file in the Harris County Courthouse, Saul Abraham "Abe" Fiszer, an 18-year-veteran of the Houston Fire Department, had been struggling with pornography addiction for some time. He and his wife had been working through it, and Fiszer had sought counseling. Unf ... More >>

Hero Metro Cops Awarded for Helping Save Chris Gray

Our favorite Metro cops -- the officers whose quick actions helped save Houston Press Music Editor Chris Gray after he suffered a heart attack last month -- were presented with awards this morning from Metro and the American Heart Association. Officers John Zepeda and Leonard Wagner just happened ... More >>

Music Editor Chris Gray Had Luck On His Side When He Had His Heart Attack

Houston's very own Randolph Mantooth​John P. Zepeda of the Metro PD's canine squad had performed a routine bomb search at the Ensemble light-rail station October 28. Finding nothing, he tried to head back. But train after train was filled with morning commuters headed downtown, so he and his ... More >>

Montrose's Creepiest Adult Bookstore Burns Down, Man Killed

Google mapsA Montrose landmark of sorts, gone.​For years, the Talk of the Town adult bookstore on Richmond just west of Montrose has been a creepy oddity -- from the outside, it looked like a shabby, about-to-fall-down barn, its fading red paint, lack of windows and seeming claustrophobic cond ... More >>

A-Blake Records Joins Cadre Of Local Labels

​Houston has a multitude of music within - and bleeding across - its borders. By our own quick estimate, there are about 500 active musical acts in the metropolitan area, and that's probably still a lowball speculation. With all these acts, it's only natural that yet another label would sprin ... More >>

Inmates Diss Web Dating

Icy Rain: All of the Hassle, None of the Fun

​Oy, Snopocalypse 2011 turned into the worst of all scenarios: an ice storm, with no picturesque snow. Sorry, kids. Some areas are getting a little dusting of the white stuff, but most of us are looking outside at nothing much...except very dangerous ice. You should still think very hard bef ... More >>

Dead Center

Bad things keep happening to people in Shawn Roberts's orbit.

Jolanda Jones's Controversial Visit to HFD Station No Big Deal, City Investigators Say

Jolanda Jones is effing cleared of allegations​The latest brouhaha between city council member Jolanda Jones and the Houston Fire Department -- concerning claims she belittled firefighters while visiting the downtown station -- is overblown and involved no misconduct, the city's Office of Insp ... More >>

Meridian's Problems Persist; Wu-Tang Moved Back To Numbers

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Just when it seemed like Meridian was on the comeback trail, a mysterious power outage and shows both canceling and relocating to different venues over the weekend have raised more questions about the problem-plagued venue at 1503 Chartres. Sunday, My Onstage Events an ... More >>

Houston Firefighter Calendar 2011 Is Here! Go Have Some Private Time!

The latest version of the always popular Houston Firefighters Calendar, featuring men holding things while not wearing any shirts, is out. Saturday night was the release party, and the Facebook reviews are in.

Flora Ryan, 92, Bayou Body Count No. 209

​Dean Jerome Wood has been charged in the death of 92-year-old Flora Ryan. Police report that officers were sent to assist Houston Fire Department personnel when Wood caused a disturbance at the scene of a sick call in the 1300 block of Redford. Ryan had been found unresponsive in a bathtub, ... More >>

Arson Destroyed Gay-Friendly Church, HFD Rules

Photo from KPRC​The fire that gutted the gay-friendly Servant-Savior Presbyterian Church was intentionally set, Houston Fire Department spokesman Patrick Trahan tells Hair Balls.Investigators have classified it as "incendiary," meaning it was not accidental.The intense blaze was spotted a little a ... More >>

The Dynamo Stadium, One Step Closer To Reality, Due To Elephant Sex

​Dynamo president Oliver Luck talked to media all morning about a new soccer stadium, what it will mean to the city and county and Dynamo fans, fun stuff like that. But when we spoke with him, he just wanted to talk about elephant sex. "What's the elephant gestation period, 18 months or something ... More >>

Bye-Bye, Mai's

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​...and thanks for all the 2 a.m. pho. The popular Vietnamese restaurant, which had been a staple of Midtown dining since 1978, has been mostly destroyed by a fire that started in the rear of the second floor of the building at 3403 Milam early this morning. Although f ... More >>

New Year, New City Council: Don't Expect Many Waves

​If you are planning for fireworks and more drama than a Maury "Who's the Daddy?" show when the new city council finally settles down next week ... well you will be in for a surprise. Expect a tame, courteous council that may run into bumps every once in a while for the most part.Annise Parker a ... More >>

City's Report On HFD Allegations Isn't The Last Word

​At a press conference earlier today, the City of Houston announced that an investigation -- conducted by lawyers hired by the city -- was complete and the law firms were ready with suggestions on how to improve the fire department. If anyone has forgotten, it was a tough 2009 for the Houston Fire ... More >>

Midtown Spec's Has A Minor Electrical Fire, Houston Comes To A Standstill

Photo by Katharine Shilcutt Hey, it's Spec's! And it's not on fire!​Driving into work this morning, Hair Balls was passed by at least a dozen fire trucks and Houston Fire Department SUVs as they sped through Midtown. Naturally interested in rubbernecking if at all possible, we checked Twi ... More >>

Another City, Another Dispute Over Sexism And Racism

​After a summer of what seemed like a million racist and sexist offerings from the Houston Fire Department, it started to feel like our city had to have the worst department around. But that changed earlier this month when Channel 13 reported some "explosive new allegations" about racism and sexis ... More >>

Bayou Body Count: Son Kills Mom, Heads To Mexico

​Laura Palacios of Houston died with her son at her side. Though it was hardly a comfort to the 51-year-old woman: It was her son who allegedly killed her. That's the story told by Harris County Sheriff's homicide detectives who have charged Jose Palacios, 24, with murder. But he is not behind ba ... More >>

Exoneration Of A Sort In One HFD Incident

​The beleaguered Houston Fire Department got some support today from a vice-president of the local chapter of the NAACP, who said in a press conference that he accepted that a noose-like rope found in a station locker was not intended to be a racial symbol.Reverend D.Z. Cofield said he had conduct ... More >>

The Economist Loves Texas And Houston, Unless Those Nasty Democratic Hispanics Take Over

Texas Republicans are buzzing over the latest issue of The Economist, the conservative British magazine that tends to get a lot of respect.It contains a special report that can be summed up in four words: "Texas good, California bad."Among the findings you might be surprised to learn, especially if ... More >>

Gulf Freeway Should Be Avoided Tomorrow, Unless You're Honoring Houston Firefighters

Fair warning: If you're planning on using the Gulf Freeway tomorrow morning, be prepared to wait.Houston Transtar has sent out an alert noting that the funeral services for the two fallen firemen will tie up traffic from 6 am until 1 pm.The details: A combined Memorial Service for fallen Houston Fir ... More >>

No Need To Check On My Pot-Growing Empire, Officer

The Houston Fire Department was putting out a small electrical blaze last night at what looked to be an abandoned mechanic's shop.They couldn't be sure the fire hadn't spread inside, so they asked the guy who was on the property if he could open the place up.He didn't really want to."They told him ' ... More >>

Tensions Are Rising

Tunnel Mole Heads Above Ground

Cake Tease

The Terrorist

Call the cops! Call the fire department! Tony Cantu and the Epernay subdivision are at it again.

A Gap in Coverage

Critics of GoldStar ambulance service say it's late to emergencies, cares for profits over patients, and doctors its books. But without it, there's nothing.

Talky? You Bet!

Sheila Jackson Lee's verbosity leads to a jackpot

Rodeo's Gonna Git You, Sucka

When the Fat Show calls, you better answer

RIP, KIKK

A redneck institution drowns in a flood of syrupy smooth jazz

Smoke Damage

Jim Pirtle's slipshod nicotine habit spells the end of an era for No tsu oH, but he hopes to rise from the ashes

Ballot Hits and Bloopers

Sour grapes, golden gloves and acidic comebacks on the campaign trail.

Burning Grief

The mayor's new HFD staffing plan postpones the dreams of dead firefighter's kin.

It Was Like This

Letters

Critic's Choice

Elemental Issues

Burning Down the House

Arson at the Goat's Head? The latest hippest club, and more.