SAN ANTONIO – Two people were taken to a hospital and dozens were displaced after a two-alarm fire gutted a three-story apartment building on the Northeast Side.
Flames broke out around 12:40 a.m. Tuesday at the Windsor Village Apartments in the 5300 block of Gawain Drive, between Walzem and Midcrown.
The fire was so large, a neighboring building had to be evacuated, fire officials said.
"I heard the fire crackling, wood crackling, and I literally saw some of the balconies falling from the upper levels," resident Mark Gonzales said.
Firefighters had trouble getting to the burning building because it was the last one in the back next to a fence, officials said. Firefighters were forced to cut holes through the fence and then run a hose from a hydrant.
Several residents knocked on doors to make sure everyone got out safely.
"People from the closest to the building that is on fire started just going down door-to-door. Neighbors were knocking on people's door trying to get everybody out," Gonzales said. "I came back downstairs with my dog and started knocking on people's windows to make sure that everybody got out of the fire OK."
At least 12 apartments were destroyed by flames. Fire officials have still not determined a cause.
Damage is estimated at $250,000 for the building and $200,000 for the contents.