Residents forced to evacuate from La Porte apartment complex fire

LA PORTE, Texas (FOX 26) - Ashley Reeves thought she would never see her father's remains again. Fire spread through her apartment complex in La Porte on Tuesday morning. She and her dog were able to escape from her burning home, but the marble box that contained her father's remains was still inside as flames crept closer to her door.

Reeves stood by helplessly and sobbed. Suddenly, a La Porte paramedic appeared.

"She came up to me and asked me what was wrong," said Reeves. "I told her I left my dad. She said everything is replaceable but him. She took my keys and took off."

It was no small feat. The fire was raging. It started in one building at the Delta Heights Apartments on South Broadway Street near Bayside Drive, possibly when Daniel Pinckney was cooking and briefly jumped into his restroom.

"I heard a popping and I came out and there was a fire," said Pinckney. "They got the wrong kind of fire extinguishers in these buildings. They was made to shoot water...not for no grease fire."

The flames spread and the strong winds made the situation worse.

"It jumped from that building to this one." said affected resident Mike Craig. "I live on the end right there where the fire truck is right now, spraying it down."

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Firefighters were able to keep the fire under control at the Delta Heights Apartments before eventually putting it out.

Paramedic Shantel Stephenson was able to get the remains of James Edward Baker back into his daughter's hands.

"You can't replace that," said Reeves. "How can you replace your dad? You don't. She meant the world to me." 

The official cause of the fire is under investigation. A shelter has been set up for the affected residents and the American Red Cross is assisting.