Houston Woman Dies After Running Back into Burning Apartment to Save Pet
On December 13, 2023, at 10:18 PM, firefighters rushed to respond to a structure fire at the SouthWay Manor apartment complex located on 7315 Southday Dr. in the Golfcrest/Bellfort/Reveille Area.
Within five minutes of the emergency call, firefighters arrived at the scene, encountering heavy smoke and flames emanating from the second floor of one of the apartment buildings. Swift action was taken as crews executed a transitional attack, initially containing the fire from the exterior before moving on to an assertive interior operation.
After gaining control of the blaze, search and rescue efforts began, leading to the unfortunate discovery of one deceased female. She was later identified as 33-year-old Keila Almonte. According to her family, she had evacuated the burning apartment with her husband, children and brother, but she ran back inside to save their cat.
HFD Arson investigators were summoned to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The Houston Police Department also responded to the incident.
A total of 42 personnel, including teams from Stations 26, 15, 20, 46, 23, 35, 36, 40, 29, 24, and Rehab 17, were involved in managing the incident.
HFD confirmed that a total of four apartment units were destroyed. Preliminary estimates indicate damages amounting to $150,000.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A GoFundMe was setup to help the Almonte/Salinas family cover the costs of the funeral.
