Four firefighters killed in huge hotel fire in Houston

Four firefighters were killed while trying to battle a fire that engulfed a Houston hotel today

The Houston mayor's office released a statement saying the four firefighters died Friday after battling a blaze at the Southwest Inn. The local medical examiner's office says three victims died at the scene, while the fourth died at a hospital.

At least five others were injured and are hospitalized for chest pains or leg injuries.

The blaze broke out just after noon Friday at a restaurant and club at the motel on U.S. 59, one of Houston's most heavily traveled expressways.

Flames spread to the motel and were shooting from the roof, blanketing the area in thick smoke, before firefighters extinguished the blaze about two hours later.

'Houston firefighters mourn the loss of our three brothers and our sister and will forever honor their sacrifices,' Jeff Caynon, from the Houston Professional Firefighters Association, said in a statement.