West Side house fire was no accident, arson investigators say

5 people evacuate after fire starts outside of home

SAN ANTONIO – A fire that sent five people running from their home early Monday morning was no accident, according to San Antonio arson investigators. 

They went through the home, located in the 2300 block of Ceralvo Street, and even brought in an arson dog to search for clues.

At the end, investigators said they had ruled out the chance that the fire was started by an electrical problem or any other accidental means.

They said more tests will be needed, though, to determine the exact cause.

People who live in the home believe the fire was someone’s attempt to do them harm.

"Somebody definitely tried to hurt us,” said Kimberly Hernandez. “They tried to start it at 5 in the morning when we were all asleep.”

Her roommate, Xochitl Maldonado, said she suspects it may be the result of a heated situation -- a dispute that happened at the property earlier. 

"There were problems here, like, three days ago so we already have (a suspect) in mind,” Maldonado said.

Both women shared their concerns with fire investigators. Firefighters, meanwhile, worked to put out the fire.

They were able to keep the flames from spreading beyond the outside of the home. However, some smoke did reach the inside of the house.

Firefighters said the fire also caused some damage to a nearby shed.

Among those who evacuated the home was an Maldonado’s 8-month-old baby. No one was hurt in the fire.


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.