Man dies as result of grass fire that spread to building in Cypress, officials say

CYPRESS, Texas – A man was pronounced dead as firefighters worked to put out a 4-alarm fire in the Cy-Fair area Thursday afternoon.

The fire started in the 16600 block of Bobcat Trail, south of Highway 99 and west of the Dyess Park sports complex.

A resident nearby said the victim was her neighbor who may have been burning trash.

“I know him as King. I believe he was from El Salvador. A very nice man, hardworking man. I believe he was 77 years old.” said resident Dawn Ashby.

• PHOTOS: What it looks like as fire crews battle blaze in Cypress

According to the Rosehill Fire Department, the flames started as a grass fire that spread to a nearby building and a residential area.

The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said that approximately 27 acres burned on Thursday afternoon.

HCFMO said there were six area fire departments that responded to the scene and 80 firefighters in total.

The man who was pronounced dead was found on the property, but not inside of a structure. Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie L. Christensen said the man appeared to be elderly and a resident of the area, but provided no additional details.

Christensen said six homes and 13 structures are believed to be impacted at this time.

Additionally, Christensen said there were roughly 457 fires reported in the county in the month of July, and this incident marks the worst one so far this year.