Retired Houston Firefighter Dies From Injuries in 2013 Blaze

HOUSTON (AP) — A retired Houston fire captain has died from injuries he suffered four years ago in a deadly restaurant and motel fire that claimed the lives of four other firefighters.

Houston fire officials said in a statement that William Dowling died Tuesday of complications from his injuries, which included brain damage and the loss of his legs.

Dowling, a father of three, was 43.

He was a 13-year veteran of the fire department when he responded in May 2013 to a restaurant fire that spread to an adjoining Southwest Inn.

The roof of the structure eventually collapsed, trapping firefighters inside, injuring more than a dozen and causing the deaths of the four firefighters that day.

A federal report later said several factors contributed to the deaths, including the lack of an adequate sprinkler system.