7-11 gas station engulfed in flames in Northeast EP

A northeast convenience store is in ruins after a fire Tuesday night.

Residents near the 7-Eleven gas station at the corner of Hondo Pass and Railroad had to be evacuated when the store went up in flames after 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Fire crews spend three hours getting the blaze under control. Fire officials say three people were inside the store at the time: two employees and a customer. We are told that an employee saw the flames in the back of the store and called 9-1-1. Everyone in the store got out safely and nobody was hurt. So far, fire officials have not told us how the fire started.

The amount of water used to fight the fire created another problem overnight. The freezing temperatures caused the large puddles of water to turn to ice, creating a traffic hazard at the busy intersection.