Houston, Texas: Kitchen Fire at Bush Airport Terminal C Sends a Large Plume of Smoke Into the Sky

A kitchen fire at Terminal C of George Bush Intercontinental Airport sent a large plume of smoke into the sky over north Houston on Tuesday afternoon, October 27, 2026, and drew a multi-unit response from the Houston Fire Department.

FOX 26 Houston reported that the fire was a grease fire in a kitchen inside Terminal C. According to United Airlines, as reported by FOX 26, the fire started in a kitchen and was not affecting flights. Video sent to the station by a viewer showed firefighters at the airport while a large, dark cloud of smoke rose above the terminal.

Ground stop reported at Terminal C

KPRC 2 Click2Houston reported that a ground stop was issued at Bush Airport due to a reported fire at Terminal C, citing authorities. The two local reports describe different sides of the same afternoon: a ground stop tied to the terminal where the fire was reported, and an airline statement that the kitchen fire itself was not affecting flights. Airport officials had not released a full account of the stop or how long it lasted in the initial coverage.

A KHOU reporter at the airport said the Houston Fire Department sent several units to Terminal C around 4:20 p.m. local time, and that officials had not confirmed the extent of the fire at that point. Other local video from the scene showed firefighters working on the roof of a terminal building as smoke continued to rise.

What travelers faced

Terminal C is one of the main terminals at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the largest airport in Houston, and it handles a heavy share of United Airlines flights. Smoke from the terminal was visible across the airport area on Tuesday afternoon, and the fire became the main disruption of the day for travelers passing through the north Houston airport.

No injuries were reported in the initial local coverage from FOX 26, KPRC 2 or KHOU. The initial reports also did not name the kitchen or restaurant where the fire started, and officials had not released a damage estimate or a final cause beyond the grease fire description carried by FOX 26.

What is still unknown

FOX 26 said the story was still developing on Tuesday evening and that it had a crew headed to the scene. Travelers with flights through Terminal C were left to rely on airline updates while firefighters finished their work at the terminal. Any change to flight operations, and any official word on injuries or damage, will come from the airport, the fire department or the airlines serving Terminal C.