Space Cleaners fire

This will be all over the local news soon enough, but I thought I'd post a few pics just for the learning value.  I don't know how fire responses work, or why they do what they do (or why they do it when they do it).  But here are a few bystander observations on this one. 

4:19 p.m.
I walked out of the office supply store at NASA 1 and El Camino Real, only to note this in front of me.  Not something you see every day. 

4:20 p.m.
There appeared to be one small fire response vehicle on scene at this time (out of photo frame to the right).  The establishment was the Space Cleaners building.  No other structures appeared to be involved.  There's debate on the internet as to whether this address is located in Houston or Webster. 

4:22 p.m.
Forest Bend FD arrived on scene (times are approximate and per my cell phone).  I had never heard of these guys, but their website says they serve unincorporated south Harris County. 

4:28 p.m.
League City FD arrived on scene.  Your tax dollars at work.  Around this time, Seabrook also came in from the east side (out of photo frame).  Seabrook had a really cool boom truck with a room for a fireman at the top of its telescoping arm. 

4:33 p.m.
Into every emergency, a little randomness must fall:  a person pushing a shopping cart wandered through the traffic blockade and proceeded northward along El Camino Real, seemingly unimpressed by the goings-on. 

4:34 p.m.
Forest Bend FD got its boom stream up and running. 

Like I said, I have no idea how these things function.  I don't know why it took 12-ish minutes to get that overhead water stream going - perhaps they realized the building was a loss at that point, so no rush, perhaps the technology just takes that long to operate, or perhaps they were waiting for command orders.  Who knows?

Anyway, here's an embed.  The ads seem to spool according to a queue, but if you're lucky, you'll get the privilege of viewing a Mattress Mac ad ahead of this chopper footage.  Ma-ma-ma-mayo furniture!!
:-)


UPDATE 20130324: Bay Area Citizen seems to have published the most comprehensive coverage of this fire to date.