Large Warehouse Fire Near Galveston Port

Galveston firefighters spent hours battling a warehouse fire on the city’s waterfront after flames broke out Wednesday night near 7th Street and Wharf Road. The fire destroyed the Texas Gulf Seafood distribution warehouse on Pier 7, according to local television reports citing the Galveston Fire Department and city officials. A second alarm brought in help from other Galveston County departments after crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. Officials said the cause remained under investigation Thursday morning. ### Where did the fire break out? Texas Gulf Seafood’s warehouse on Pier 7 was identified by multiple local outlets as the building that burned near the Galveston Yacht Basin and the port area. Click2Houston reported the fire broke out just before 8:45 p.m. Wednesday at the seafood distribution warehouse along the waterfront. KHOU reported the site was near 7th Street and Wharf Road, while the Houston Chronicle said the city’s Office of Emergency Management told the public around 11 p.m. to avoid the area. (fox26houston.com) ### How did firefighters respond? The Galveston Fire Department received reports of the blaze at about 8:40 p.m., according to FOX 26 and KHOU. Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke and fire coming from the warehouse, and the department called a second alarm that brought in assistance from other county fire agencies. KHOU reported firefighters worked for hours before getting the blaze under control and said the large size of the warehouse turned the response into a lengthy operation. (click2houston.com) Galveston’s Fire Department says on its city website that its suppression division includes 115 uniformed personnel assigned to three shifts across six stations on the island. The city’s Office of Emergency Management says it coordinates with city departments and regional, state and federal agencies during major incidents. Those standing arrangements help explain why the fire response expanded beyond the initial crews, though the city had not released a detailed incident timeline on its website by Thursday. (fox26houston.com) ### Were there injuries or rescues? Two people were taken to a hospital, Click2Houston reported, though officials had not released the extent of their injuries. Houston Public Media reported that three people and a dog were rescued from the seafood warehouse, citing the city, while FOX 26 and KHOU said no injuries were reported. The differing early accounts had not been reconciled publicly by Thursday morning. (galvestontx.gov) The dog rescue was reported by both Houston Public Media and Click2Houston. Neither outlet reported the animal’s condition as of Thursday morning. ### What was the impact on the port area? The City of Galveston’s Office of Emergency Management warned the public to avoid the area while crews fought the fire, according to the Houston Chronicle. (houstonpublicmedia.org) The warehouse appeared to be near the University of Texas Medical Branch’s downtown Galveston campus, the Chronicle reported. Local coverage described the blaze as large enough to send flames and black smoke high above the waterfront, creating a visible disruption near the wharves and yacht basin. Port of Galveston materials show Wharf Road and nearby piers are part of an active working port with cargo, marine and ground transportation operations. Publicly available port pages reviewed Thursday did not show a separate formal statement on cargo disruptions tied to the fire. That absence does not rule out operational effects, but officials had not publicly detailed them in the sources reviewed. (houstonchronicle.com) ### What do officials still not know? The cause of the fire remained under investigation Thursday, according to FOX 26, Click2Houston and KHOU. Officials also had not publicly provided a damage estimate for the destroyed warehouse in the reports reviewed. The city’s Alert Center showed no active public alerts by Thursday, suggesting any immediate broad public warning had ended even as crews stayed on scene. (portofgalveston.com) Thursday morning, firefighters were still monitoring the site for hot spots and were expected to remain there for several more hours, KHOU reported. Additional updates were expected from the Galveston Fire Department and city officials as investigators worked to determine what started the blaze and as authorities clarified the number of people injured or rescued. (khou.com) (fox26houston.com)