Texas homeless tragedy

A fire fuelled by donated clothes ripped through a homeless shelter in north-eastern Texas, killing five residents.

Paris fire chief Ronnie Grooms said the cause of the 3am fire in the converted bakery remained unknown, but investigators said a 25ft-long table piled with donated clothes was a possible starting point. Arson was not suspected, he said.

“It went fast,” said Roger Riemer, 49, who had lived at the shelter since September. “There was quite a few people trying to get it out, but it didn’t work. It was just getting too hot. Smoke was billowing out of there so bad. There was nothing we could do.”