A man in his 40s was hospitalized after being rescued from an inferno that decimated a west side home Wednesday, authorities said. The San Antonio Fire Department responded to an emergency call around 1:45 a.m. on San Bernardo Avenue and found the structure, which was believed to be abandoned due to its boarded-up condition, ablaze, KSAT reports.
Inside the home, firefighters discovered a man sleeping through the life-threatening flames, he was quickly rushed to BAMC for treatment of his burns and smoke inhalation, having to battle the fire that had already consumed the backside of the house which officials later declared a total loss, according to KENS 5.
The cause of the early-morning disaster remains unknown as investigative teams plunge into their work to unravel the circumstances behind the fire, as noted by the fire department; the home is now deemed a total loss, engulfed and erased by the rampant flames.
This incident follows a string of fires affecting vacant properties in the area, including a Christmas night blaze that devastated a property undergoing renovations on Edwards Street, just a stone's throw from Burbank High School, neighbors suspect the fire was started by homeless people seeking refuge within the derelict walls; no firefighters suffered injuries during the dangerous operation to extinguish today's fire.
