DALE LEZON
Houston Chronicle
Reprinted with Permission

Firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze at a commercial building in southwest Houston early this morning.


The fire broke out about 5 a.m. at a shopping center in the 5800 block of Fondren near Harwin, officials said. The stubborn blaze was extinguished nearly three hours later.

A fire fighter was slightly injured when he cut his hand battling he flames, but no other injuries were reported.

Officials said the blaze appears to have erupted in M Wholesales, which supplies merchandise to Dollar Stores. The building was badly damaged. Portions of the business' roof and walls collapsed.

The fire spread to an adjacent hair salon, but firefighters limited the damage to the business, officials said.

The shopping center also includes a florist, a Mexican restaurant and a Karaoke bar.

The only people at the strip center when the fire started were at the Karaoke bar.

Officials said a bicyclist riding past the shopping center noticed the flames and went into the bar and alerted the people inside. The bar manager called 911.

Patrons left the bar after they were told about the fire.

Investigators were trying to determine what caused the blaze.