An inferno ravaged a vacant home on San Antonio's southeast side late Wednesday evening, leaving it in a pile of ruins, confirmed by fire department officials. The blaze, which started at around 11 p.m. on the 1500 block of Hackberry, was so severe that the fire department deemed the structure too unstable to safely allow firefighters to enter. According to an article from KENS 5, this marked the second visit to the building by fire crews within just months.

The San Antonio Fire Department had to initially combat the flames from the outside, as they found both walls and floors perilously punctured with holes. Officials reported that the flames swallowed up the old building before they were able to extinguish it. "Firefighters attacked the flames from the outside due to the building's weak integrity," was cited by KENS 5, reflecting the high risk of the operation.

Another report from KSAT indicated that the structure was a two-story home, which became a total loss following the fire. In light of the extent of the destruction and no injury reports, officials do not seem to plan on launching an in-depth investigation into the cause of the fire. "The fire will not be investigated and they will instead just talk to neighbors and witnesses, leaving the official cause to likely be undetermined," firefighters said in the KSAT account.

As aftermath operations continue, the fire department told the public to expect via KSAT that hot spots would be monitored and a demolition crew would to eventually be called in, mark the site for clearance. The building, already set for demolition prior to this latest incident.