Shocking Fire Tragedy

The deadliest day in Houston Fire Department history brings unprecedented death, chaos and horror

Four firefighters are dead after a five-alarm blaze ripped through a motel complex along the Southwest Freeway on Friday, creating a scene of horrific smoky chaos and devastation. This is the deadliest day in the Houston Fire Department's recorded history, which dates back to 1889.

This many Houston firefighters have never been killed before in a single blaze.

KHOU Ch. 11 reports that the bodies of three firefighters were pulled from the rubble of the Southwest Inn near the intersection of Hillcroft. A fourth died at a nearby hospital, prompting Houston Fire Department assistant captain Rick Flanagan to tell reporters that Friday has been the worst day of his life. Flanagan noted that a building collapse trapped the firefighters.

Several firefighters were spotted gathering around a flag-draped casket placed at the center of the devastation.

"There is nothing we can do that will heal the hurt we feel today," Mayor Annise Parker said in a 5:15 p.m. press conference from Memorial Hermann hospital, choking back tears. The heroic victims have been identified as captain Matthew Renaud, 35 and EMT Robert Bebee, 41, of Station 51; EMT Robert Garner, 29, of Station 68 and 24-year-old Anne Sullivan, a recent graduate of the fire department academy.

In addition to the four casualties, six other firefighters were rushed by ambulance to area hospitals. At least one is reportedly in critical condition.

"There is nothing we can do that will heal the hurt we feel today."

Late May temperatures reached into nineties, creating an additional threat of dehydration as more than 100 firefighters struggled for three hours to bring the blaze under control. Strong winds helped to spread flames throughout the building attic space, causing the roof to collapse in several locations.

The fire started just after noon, filling the sky with a black smoke that could be seen across the city and cloaked the freeway. A CultureMap staffer on the Southwest Freeway when the fire first broke out says the smoke was so thick that at times you could barely see a few feet ahead of you on the road.

Four firefighters were killed in a deadly blaze at a southwest Houston motel.

fire Houston at Southwest Inn near Highway 59 and Hilcroft fire truck

Photo by Mike O'Neill Courtesy of KHOU Houston/Channel 11

Four firefighters were killed in a deadly blaze at a southwest Houston motel.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”