2 fires behind vacant home in South Bexar County labeled ‘suspicious'

Fire marshal investigating cause of shed fires

SAN ANTONIO – Investigators with the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office are trying to find out how a fire started behind a home that was supposed to be vacant.

The fire destroyed two backyard sheds in the 19200 block of FM 1937 and, for a while, threatened a few homes nearby.

“We got called out for a possible gas line explosion involving structures and a brush fire,” said Battalion Chief Justin Petroshus, with Bexar County Fire, District 2. “It turned out to be two detached sheds.”

Petroshus said the fire spread quickly, destroying both sheds and everything inside them.

FIRST REPORT: Shed fires in South Bexar County deemed 'suspicious'

While firefighters did keep the flames from spreading beyond that property, the fire created some tense moments for neighbors, including Patricia Rueda.

“The fire was high like the trees,” Rueda said. “But we didn't know exactly where the fire was, if it was on my side or my neighbor's side.”

Just in case, Rueda said she and her daughter got out of their home next door, worried they might be in the danger zone.

There were several potentially explosive items involved in the fire, including a 100-gallon propane tank and an abandoned car.

"That was my (biggest) worry,” she said.  I thought, 'Oh my God. That thing is going to blow up, the car and the tank.”

Firefighters put out the fire before anything could explode.

Both they and Rueda said this isn’t the first time there have been problems on the property.

They say there recently have been reports of several thefts happening there.

“I don't know who did it. I don't know how it started,” Rueda said.

Because firefighters were not able to make that determination either, they called in investigators with the fire marshal’s office.

Those investigators spent the morning looking through the ashes for answers regarding the fire which firefighters labeled suspicious.


About the Authors:

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.

Misael started at KSAT-TV as a photojournalist in 1987.