Suspicious blaze

Hot nightclub goes up in flames — and firefighters see signs of arson as ownerwonders why

Much of the damage was centered along the patio, where HFD officers suspect thefire may have been set intentionally.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Reliant-area nightclub Azul suffered major fire damage after an early morningblaze.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Owners did not offer a specific reopening date, but hope to be up and runningnext month.
Photo by Tyler Rudick

A suspicious early morning fire destroyed part of a popular Reliant-area nightclub, damaging several nearby businesses and launching an arson investigation led by the Houston Fire Department (HFD)

The blaze broke out at Azul Lounge (9880 Buffalo Speedway) around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to HFD spokesperson Jay Evans. Firefighters stationed near the Texas Medical Center arrived at the scene within four minutes and quickly subdued the fire. The crew immediately questioned the pattern of the flames.

"The fire appeared to be on the outside of the building when our officers first arrived. Very often, that's a sign of arson."

"The fire appeared to be on the outside of the building when our officers first arrived," Evans tells CultureMap. "Very often, that's a sign of arson."

A number of businesses in the shopping center, including a Mattress Firm, appear to have suffered minor smoke damage as well.

With much of the damage centered at the front corner of the club near the patio, co-owner Coye Devrouax told KTRK Ch. 13 he hopes to reopen within the month.

"It was definitely an up-and-coming lounge," he said. "[It's] the only one in the Reliant area and we had great clientele. Devrouax also noted he has not received threats and has no idea who would have set his business ablaze.

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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.”

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Thanks, Queen Bey

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