Burned duplex where 17 people lived had no smoke detectors, firefighters say

16 people escape heavy flames, smoke

SAN ANTONIO – A near West Side duplex that went up in flames early Thursday, displacing 17 people, had no smoke detectors, according to San Antonio firefighters.

Somehow, though, everyone managed to escape.

Firefighters responded around 5 a.m. to a call about the fire and found flames coming from the roof of the home at the corner of North Nueces and West Travis streets.

They said the fire appeared to have started in an old stereo in an upstairs unit of the two-story building. 

"They had a lot of flames and smoke coming out of the second floor,” said San Antonio fire Capt. Stephen Ersch. "We were able to salvage and protect the majority of the first floor. But the fire did get up into the attic, caused some major roof damage. "

Ten people, including five young children, lived in the second-floor unit, which was gutted. One of the adults, was not home at the time of the fire.

Felicia Vasquez said she was awaken by her best friend screaming that the house was on fire.

"The glass was already popping, everything was falling off. So everyone ran out through the back,” she said.

Making sure that many people made a safe escape was a monumental task, Vasquez said. They also had to worry about the neighbors who lived below them.

"We had to bang around the house because they weren't answering the front door,” she said.  “And where their front door is, that's where the fire was. "

A couple and five other children in the downstairs apartment also made a safe escape.

Firefighters said one woman on the second floor suffered minor injuries and had to be treated at a hospital. They said she briefly tried to put out the fire on her own. 

"She took a blanket and was trying to smother the fire out,” Ersch said. “The blanket caught on fire and, in turn, burned her hands and forearms."

Ersch said there were no smoke detectors anywhere in the duplex, a situation that could have led to devastating results.

"I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have smoke detectors in your house, let alone a two-story house,” he said. “They are lucky. They all got out safely.”

He said, however, that the people living in the duplex might not be to blame because they were only renters of the property. Ersch said the situation involving the lack of smoke detectors is under investigation, and it’s possible that the property owner could be held accountable.

The American Red Cross was called in to help the victims.


About the Author:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.