Controversial Apartment Fire

Massive fire burns down a controversial Montrose apartment complex, engulfing the city in smoke and ash

The Houston Fire Department waged war on a massive, five-alarm fire at an under construction apartment complex on West Dallas between Montrose and Waugh. Portions of the building collapsed due to the fire and Montrose went into a virtual standstill with huge traffic jams Tuesday afternoon.

A CultureMap staffer driving in the area had ash falling on her car and says that the smell of smoke is "overpowering."

More than 70 fire department vehicles responded as the blaze keeps growing. It was officially upgraded to a five-alarm fire at 1:25 p.m. after starting out as a three-alarm fire in its first reporting at around 12:30 p.m. At around 3 p.m., the fire was declared under control. By then, a huge portion of the complex had burned to the ground.

"I saw the flames. I just started yelling, 'Out out, everybody get out,' as much as I could in Spanish and in English."

Construction workers were in the building when the fire started, but Houston Fire Department officials believe all the workers safely got out.

A worker on the site, who asked not to be identified, told CultureMap, "I was on the backside of the building outside and I saw smoke come up from the building and I ran into the opposite side to see what was going on. I saw the flames. I just started yelling, 'Out out, everybody get out,' as much as I could in Spanish and in English.

"I ran back to the other side of the building to see what was happening and make sure that my crews were out. Made it into the garage just in time to get all the cars out . . . I think pretty much all the cars made it out and as far as I know everybody made it out too."

Twitter exploded with multiple pictures of the blaze, which is billowing black smoke that can be seen throughout central Houston. KHOU reports that Montrose is closed between Allen Parkway and West Dallas. Several TV stations aired live coverage of the fire and the increasingly frantic efforts to control it.

The units appear to be part of 2400 West Dallas, a JLB development being built just feet away from a more than century old cemetery. The location has brought its share of controversy with vocal opponents voicing their displeasure over building something so close to grave site that opened in 1884.

There is no word on what started the fire yet. No injuries have been reported.

For more, click on CultureMap editor-at-large Shelby Hodge's exclusive video from the scene above this story. CultureMap also has an exclusive photo gallery of images from the scene. Come back to CultureMap for continued developments.

supreme suburbs

2 Houston neighbors shine as top-10 best places to live in the U.S.

Pearland water tower

City of Pearland - Government/Facebook

All eyes are on Pearland.

The Houston suburbs of Pearland and League City have landed among the top three best places to live in 2025, according to U.S. News & World Report.

New for the 2025-2026 "Best Places to Live in the U.S." rankings, U.S. News expanded its coverage from 150 to 250 U.S. cities, and updated its methodology to examine each city based on five livability indexes: Quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration.

Pearland ranked No. 3 nationwide, earning a 7.0 score alongside No. 1-winning Johns Creek, Georgia and No. 2 winner Carmel, Indiana.

Pearland also landed on top of U.S. News separate rankings of the best places to live in Texas for 2025-2026.

Some facts about Pearland that put it at the top of the list include its median household income ($115,504), its median home values ($319,753), and its bustling population of nearly 124,000 residents.

Housing costs in Pearland are extremely attractive compared to other places in the country, as the national average home is worth over $370,000. It's no wonder this Houston neighbor has been adding more high-income households than many other places in Texas.

Pearland's population is a healthy mix of young individuals and families, with 29 percent of residents being under 20 years old and 36 percent of the population being between the ages of 20-44. Nearly a quarter of Pearland's population is between 45-64-years-old, while only 12 percent of residents are over 65, the report says.

Pearland's reputation as one of the safest cities in America is also boosting its community appeal.

Pearland Pear Trail Pearland's Pear-Scape Trail is a popular public art trail that residents, families, and visitors can enjoy. The sculptures are scattered all over the city.City of Pearland - Government/Facebook

"Finding a community to be part of can play a major role in making a place feel like home," U.S. News said. "If you’re a parent with young children, you may want to live in a neighborhood with other people in that phase of life. If you’re a professional moving to a hot job market for your field, you may want to live in an apartment close to the office or within walking distance of friends and colleagues."

Pearland also enjoys a better job market than other cities, the report added. Pearland's unemployment rate as of 2023 was only 3.6 percent, lower than the national average unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.

However, if people are looking for a public transportation-friendly city, they may need to look elsewhere. Almost all commuters in Pearland drive to their workplaces, making access to a vehicle absolutely necessary for living in the suburb. Pearland's 31.2-minute average commute time is also 9.2 minutes higher than the national average, U.S. News said.

Other Houston-area suburbs
League City only ranked three spots behind Pearland as the 6th best place to live in the U.S., and No. 2 in Texas. The city boasts a median household income of $120,670, and affordable median home values at $327,511.

Workers in League City also predominantly rely on vehicles for their daily commutes, and only 3.7 percent of the population use public transport to get to work. Commuters spend an average time of 27.5 minutes driving to work, U.S. News determined.

More than half (63.5 percent) of all League City residents are married, and 54 percent of the population are between the ages of 25 and 64-years-old.

Here's how other Houston-area cities faired among the top 100:

No. 16 – Sugar Land
No. 44 – The Woodlands
No. 45 – Katy
No. 67 – Missouri City
No. 73 – Spring

Houston drops out of the top 100
Though Houston proper made substantial improvements to land among the top 100 best places to live in U.S. News' 2024-2025 report, the city has once again plummeted toward the bottom of the list for 2025-2026.

Houston slumped into No. 381 this year, and only ranked No. 63 in the statewide comparison, showing that the city has lost its charm in favor of its appealing suburban neighbors.

The top 10 best places to live in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – Johns Creek, Georgia
No. 2 – Carmel, Indiana
No. 3 – Pearland, Texas
No. 4 – Fishers, INdiana
No. 5 – Cary, North Carolina
No. 6 – League City, Texas
No. 7 – Apex, North Carolina
No. 8 – Leander, Texas
No. 9 – Rochester Hills, Michigan
No. 10 – Troy, Michigan

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