San Antonio firefighters were up early Friday battling what they believe was an intentionally set fire in a vacant building just south of downtown. The call came in at approximately 4:50 a.m., with crews dispatched to an empty commercial structure located on the 3600 block of South Presa Street, as reported by KSAT. Upon arrival, firefighters were met with visible flames and smoke but were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
There were no injuries reported; however, firefighters faced the added challenge of cutting through burglar bars to gain entry to the building. Despite these barriers, it appears that the perpetrator managed to start the fire inside. While the blaze was promptly put out, the scene remained active due to the remaining hot spots causing smoke, indicating that parts of the building were still smoldering.
In a statement obtained by KSAT, Battalion Chief John Castillo with the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) detailed the scene, describing it as "very heavily charged with smoke but very little contents." According to Castillo, the lack of contents suggested that the fire had been burning unchecked for some time before their arrival. SAFD crews took precautionary measures, including scaling a ladder to access the roof, in an effort to locate the source of the persistent smoke.
The vacant building, which was supposed to be unoccupied, showed signs of illegal habitation. "It looked like people had been living there in the back half of the structure for some time. We found a lot of mattresses and a makeshift kitchen in there," Castillo told KSAT. The presence of such materials not only fueled the fire but also presented unforeseen dangers to the firefighters navigating the compromised structure.
Earlier in the year, SAFD Fire Chief Charles Hood expressed concerns about abandoned buildings in the city, highlighting the risks they pose and the potential need for regulatory changes to address the care and management of these properties.
