Construction Worker Barely Escapes Apartment Fire w/ Video

[Oceanas]

I'm not sure if this hit the national news at all, but we had a five alarm fire here in Houston today (well, yesterday). A luxury apartment complex that was under construction went up and was totally destroyed. One construction worker was trapped on a balcony on the top floor as the fire was seriously close to getting to him. Luckily, he was able to drop down onto the balcony on the floor below and then get on the ladder from the ladder truck, just before a huge portion of the upper exterior wall collapses.

The complex is built within a few feet of one of the oldest cemeteries in town, and it had apparently been on the news the night before as people were complaining that it was being built too close to the cemetery. The preliminary reports are that the fire started on the roof as apparently there was some welding or something going on up there.

Here is what the scene looked like..

Here is video of the construction worker escaping the fire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg9PWSHL4Vg#t=132

And a news article

 

[santz]

damn that jump from one floor to another was assasins creed stuff

 

[dabuddha]

holy guacamole!

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I was just about to post this. I have to hand it to the guy, he jumped down to the next landing like a boss.

 

[CPA]

Saw the smoke outside my office building yesterday, went to KHOU.com and watched the fire live. Didn't see the ninja jump.

 

[twinrider1]

Amazing.
That is one big fire. I'm no fireman, but I did watch Emergency a lot as a kid and I saw Backdraft. Just couldn't bring myself to watch Ladder 49.
Anyway, what's amazing to me about that fire is how complete it is. A whole city block, fully engulfed.
That was some jump. Didn't look like he had much of a choice. The heat must've been incredible.
I can just hear the firefighter yelling at the guy steering, "GD it, if I have to climb down this ladder to drive this MFer, I 'm totally going to kick your ass."

 

[Oceanas]

That was some jump. Didn't look like he had much of a choice. The heat must've been incredible.

I'm just amazed he was able to remain so calm, or at least outwardly appearing pretty calm.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

I was SCREAMING at him to hang down and get onto that next ledge. Then he did it.

Video was intense!

 

[Pheran]

Just saw this, absolutely crazy. Warning, the YouTube link in the OP starts the video most of the way through, go back to the beginning or use this link instead:

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