Fire destroys home in San Antonio; 1 FF injured

A fire destroyed a two-story home on the North Side Tuesday morning, authorities said. San Antonio firefighters spent several hours battling the blaze, which erupted in the home’s garage in the 13300 block of Southwalk around 8:45 a.m.

“The fire seemed to have gone unnoticed for a while,” said Battalion Chief Ron Rodriguez. “It got into the walls and continued to grow in other areas.”

No one was at the home when the fire started, Rodriguez said, adding that the blaze caused an estimated $150,000 in damages.

While neighbors originally were concerned that the homeowner’s pet Shih Tzu was inside the garage, the homeowner later said that the dog was at a veterinarian’s office.

One fireman was treated for a foot injury he sustained while working the fire but was not hospitalized, officials said. Several additional fire crews were sent to relieve firefighters who were visibly fatigued after battling the fire for more than an hour.

“They were exhausted,” he said.

Arson investigators have not yet determined exactly what caused the fire, and much of the evidence was destroyed during the blaze.
By Eva Ruth Moravec in The San Antonio Express-News