HOUSTON – For more than 75 years, The American Legion Post 490 has served veterans in the community. A fire left extensive damage inside the building Wednesday night.
The Commander, John Cronin and his wife, Denise are hoping others will step up and help them.
“I can’t believe this happened. This American Legion has such a legacy,” Denise Cronin said.
The fire was reported around 10 p.m. on Galveston Road near Ellington Airport, in Southeast Houston. Burnt insulation hangs from the ceiling, the floor is soaked with water and many items are destroyed.
Denise Cronin says she felt devastated.
“This is our second home. We help the community so much,” she said.
Cronin says the fire started in the kitchen. Several members were sitting on the patio when they smelled smoke. They tried using a fire extinguisher to put out flames, but the fire spread quickly.
No one was hurt.
“We just remodeled the inside of our building. We had a new roof; our building was painted, and we had a new air conditioning unit. We just remodeled the inside after the freeze when our pipes broke,” Cronin said.
People are already helping the post get back on track. Workers dropped off a portable bathroom Thursday morning.
American Legion Post 490 is the largest post membership in Texas.
You can mail monetary donations to the post located at, 11702 Galveston Rd, Houston, TX 77034 or send them a payment through their PayPal account.
For more information about the post, click here.