NEW VIDEO: Documents, other materials appear to be burned in courtyard of Consulate General of China in Houston, Texas; police and fire responded but its unclear it they entered property
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 22, 2020
@KPRC2Tulsi
pic.twitter.com/4vZktNpsWQ
.@HoustonFire and @houstonpolice are responding to reports of documents being burned at the Consulate General of China on 3417 Montrose Boulevard. Here's what the scene looks like there right now. pic.twitter.com/grUHhqmUz4
— KPRC2Tulsi (@KPRC2Tulsi) July 22, 2020
Fire trucks were seen parked outside of the Chinese Consulate in Houston after nearby residents saw smoke billowing from the building.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 22, 2020
This comes as the U.S. State Dept. ordered the closure of the consulate. https://t.co/zIQ82EXnYE pic.twitter.com/HQ9YRmAPVj
Strange scene in Houston last night as fire fighters are told they can't enter the Chinese Consulate to fight a fire. Documents were reportedly burned in a courtyard after US govt. gave the consulate until Friday to leave the building. More @houstonchron: https://t.co/OtLWcjOeWt pic.twitter.com/1WvnyXDBDd
— Mark Mulligan (@mrkmully) July 22, 2020
中駐美休士頓領事館發生火警 翻攝自Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian推特
近期美中關係緊張，加上新冠肺炎與港版國安法通過等事件持續延燒，美中關係的情勢變化成為外界關注的焦點。根據外媒報導，當地時間21日晚上8點，休斯頓消防局接獲當地居民報案，中國駐美國休士頓領事館發生火警，現場濃煙密布，然消防人員到場後卻被阻擋門外，無法入內處理。
根據《ABC13》報導，星期二晚間，當地居民因看到濃煙密布，故報警處理。根據當地電視台撥放周邊居民從高處拍攝的畫麵顯示，當時有多人在領事館的露天後院的鐵桶裡焚燒大量文件，然而領事館等同於該國領土，消防人員並沒有權利可以入內，因此休士頓消防局被阻擋在門外，沒有權限進入領事館後院滅火。
美國專門報導中國事務的記者，艾倫惡布拉希米恩(Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian)於推特上也分享了現場照片，並且發文寫道：「大家應該都十分清楚這代表什麽」。
消防隊的指揮佩納（Sam Pena）則表示，據當時焚燒的情況來看，此次並非無限製的火災，儘管沒有被允許入內，消防隊員仍在門外進行待命並監視情況。而根據當地媒體報導，休士頓總領事館被建築大樓業主要求，需於本周星期五前遷離該大樓，此舉是否在為遷離做準備則尚未證實。
艾倫厄布拉希米恩：「大家應該都十分清楚這代表什麽」 翻攝自Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian推特
