HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Thick smoke billowed from Terminal C at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Tuesday afternoon, alarming passengers and prompting air traffic controllers to temporarily hold at least one departing aircraft as firefighters responded.
The Houston Fire Department said the fire broke out around 4:20 p.m. inside Ember restaurant in Terminal C North.
As smoke poured from the terminal, air traffic controllers worked to determine where it was coming from.
“Can you get a better view of that smoke? Does it look like it’s coming from the gate or from inside the actual terminal?” one controller asked.
Another responded, “Looks like it’s coming from a vent, so maybe one of the restaurants.”
Passengers arriving at the airport could see the smoke from their planes.
“You can see, like, smoke coming from there, like you’re like, ‘Hey, what’s going on? Something ain’t right,'” Gary Childress, who had just landed from Las Vegas, said.
Childress described the smoke as thick and said it was clear something was wrong.
Another passenger, Jamel Dean, who also arrived from Las Vegas, said he could see fire trucks outside as his plane waited on the tarmac for approximately 20 minutes.
Air traffic control recordings captured the uncertainty as crews responded.
“I’ve got aircraft ready to push,” one controller said, before another instructed, “United 2638, hold the push right now.”
Firefighters extinguished the fire around 5:20 p.m., approximately an hour after the initial response.
Passengers in the immediate area were temporarily relocated as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
Airport officials said flights were operating normally in other terminals, and no cancellations had been reported as of their 5:30 p.m. update.
Travelers were advised to check with their airlines for updated terminal and gate information.
The Houston Fire Department’s Arson Bureau is investigating the cause of the fire.
SkyEye13 was over the scene on Tuesday afternoon, capturing images of HFD crews responding to the reported fire.
ABC13 received images from the scene, depicting visible smoke from the reported airport fire.
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