SAN ANTONIO – More than 100 firefighters battled a 2-alarm fire early Thursday that caused major damage to a Northeast Side family clinic.
The fire was reported around 4:30 a.m. by employees who work across the street from the family clinic in the 12600 block of Nacogdoches Road.
According to San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood, the fire was smoldering in the attic of the large, single-story building.
The attic contained a lot of storage materials and the building had a lot of security protection, including burglar bars on windows, that made it difficult for firefighters to access.
The roof eventually caved in several hours later.
"There is heavy, heavy damage inside the building. We're trying to save as much as we can, as far ... computers and things like that. But because the nature of where this fire is up in the attic, and it's very hard to get to," Hood said.
Hood said the dangerous conditions and the lengthy battle took a physical toll on the firefighters.
"We're treating two firefighters with repeat exhaustion. We just talk about it's nice and cool out here right now. But being in that gear, at the end of a 24-hour shift, and crawling around in this maze, which is what this building was. It's extremely taxing on the firefighters," Hood said.
The firefighters were treated at the scene.
A damage estimate wasn't immediately available.
Hood doesn't believe foul play was involved and a cause is under investigation.