Overview
- Firefighters reached the Bayou West Condominiums shortly after midnight and faced low water pressure that delayed aerial attacks as one building was destroyed.
- Arson investigators reported finding multiple boxes of fireworks at the complex, noting that consumer fireworks are illegal within Houston city limits.
- HFD said 16–20 units were damaged and about 60 residents were displaced, with the American Red Cross assisting and no injuries reported to residents or firefighters.
- In the Third Ward, five people were shot at a short‑term rental just after midnight, and detectives reported poor witness cooperation and no arrests announced.
- On the Northside, two people were shot at a separate short‑term rental with about 300 attendees, including a man in critical condition, as police review video and work from a brief suspect description; the city’s new short‑term rental registration rule began Jan. 1.