SAN ANTONIO – Firefighters were able to put out a fire before it destroyed a home Monday afternoon.
Flames broke out around 1 p.m. at the home in the 5600 block of Clearwood Street around 1 p.m.
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The woman inside said she smelled smoke and believed the fire started in the fireplace, firefighters said.
Crews were able to save the woman’s cat, but not her pet fish.
Firefighters believe a build up in the fireplace could be to blame. Fanned by those winds, the fire quickly spread throughout the attic.
Firefighters said the source may have been creosote buildup, a type of residue created by burning wood. Or sometimes it's even bird nests in the chimney.
Without yearly maintenance by a chimney sweep, it's hard to tell until something like this happens during especially cold weather.
“So it's a good time, you know, to start looking, looking at those chimneys, looking inside, having somebody come out to check that out," Battalion Chief Steve Reuthinger said.
The damage was estimated at $130,000. The woman was not injured.