Roofer Severely Burned in Accident That Sparks Multi-Home Fire

Several homes damaged in West Houston townhouse community

A roofer was severely injured in a multi-unit townhouse fire in West Houston. — A roofer was gravely injured after a power line touched an interconnected gutter system that sparked a multi-unit fire in a West Houston townhome community, sending the man to the hospital with severe burns. His condition remains unknown.
— Image courtesy of KHOU-TV

Last Wednesday, a roofing worker sustained severe electrical burns, and several homes were damaged due to a power line incident at a townhome community in West Houston, according to officials from the Houston Fire Department.

The accident occurred when a power line delivered an electrical current to the building's metal gutter system, igniting fires in over six homes and injuring a worker; one firefighter was also taken to the hospital.

"When the power line made contact with the gutter, we believe it sent an electrical shock down the buildings causing the fire," Houston Fire Department Captain Bryan Zaharis told KHOU-TV, which first reported the story.

Residents reported hearing an explosion and saw a man ablaze on the roof.

"I had several neighbors call me and tell me there was an explosion and that there was a guy on the roof and that he was on fire," Terry Jones, a resident, told reporters.

The injured worker, who sustained "electrical burns across his body," was taken to the hospital, where he is still receiving treatment. The firefighter was hospitalized due to suspected heat exhaustion but is expected to recover fully.

The incident resulted in substantial fire and water damage to several residences and personal belongings.

Multiple families have been forced to leave their homes due to the destruction. Fire officials did not provide further information regarding the cause of the incident or the injured worker's identity.

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction, and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law, and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage.

Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business.