Midday Fire Consumes Former Restaurant, Frustrates Motorists

A midday fire at a former Mexican restaurant on Highway 6 near the Westpark Tollway gutted the structure while backing up traffic for more than a mile in every direction.

RESTAURANT BURNS – Firefighters from the Community Volunteer Fire Department battled a blaze in the former Molina’s Restaurant on Highway 6 near the Westpark Tollway Friday afternoon. There was no immediate word on a cause.

The multi-alarm blaze was reported just before noon at a former Molina’s restaurant. The location had been closed for an extended period of time.

A second structure next to the former restaurant also caught fire.

Firefighters from the Community Volunteer Fire Department brought the fire under control just before 1 p.m., but were expected to remain on the scene for several more hours putting out hot spots and conducting mop-up operations. There was no immediate information on what may have started the blaze.

No known injuries were reported.

Heavy smoke and firefighting operations closed Highway 6 in both directions. At one point, traffic was backed-up for more than a mile in each direction.

After about 20 minutes, authorities were able to allow limited southbound traffic along an overpass feeder road, but all northbound traffic remained halted for almost an hour, snarling traffic well beyond the Fort Bend County line to the south.

Traffic was also backed up along one westbound lane of the Westpark Tollway from cars attempting to exit onto Highway 6.

DRIVERS FUME – Traffic was backed up for more than a mile in each direction on Highway 6 Friday afternoon as firefighters battled a fire in a former Molina’s Restaurant.

Drivers’ nerves quickly became frayed as the wait continued.

“This is ridiculous; traffic’s backed up almost to Sugar Land,” motorist Melody Vincent said. “They need to figure out some way to either get us around (the fire) or turn everybody around.”

West Houston resident Ed Bowman, who said he was going to be late for a doctor’s appointment, agreed.

“We’ve been here over half an hour,” he said. “The police should be able to figure something out. This mess will be here for hours.”

Several drivers vented their anger by honking horns and shouting at Harris County deputies handling traffic control duties. At least one man was irate enough to confront deputies.

“This is (expletive) stupid,” he shouted at the deputies, waving his arms in the air. “You guys need to get this (expletive) moving.”

Deputies ultimately calmed the driver and talked him into returning to his vehicle under threat of arrest.

Others caught in the traffic took things in stride. A group of dump truck drivers hauling dirt from a site near the fire parked their trucks in a vacant field and started an impromptu game of soccer.

“What else can we do?” driver Felipe Martinez said in Spanish. “We can’t go anywhere until the fire is out, why not relax?”

Just before 1 p.m., authorities were able to re-open a few lanes of Highway 6 in both directions, but congestion was expected to continue in the area until fire operations were completed.