A fire has destroyed around 35 apartments near Houston, the fourth largest city in the US, local fire officials said. The blaze occurred in South Houston on Tuesday. Firefighters managed to contain the fire quickly, but it took them more than six hours, Xinhua news agency reported. Many families were forced to abandon their homes, but they managed to escape unscathed. According to the Red Cross, at least 50 people were displaced. The origin and cause of the fire is under investigation.