SAN ANTONIO – A North Side woman says she has her son to thank for saving her and her family from a fire that started in their garage early Tuesday.
She says he was the first to notice a fire that broke out around 4 a.m. at the home in the 2900 block of Bee Cave.
Firefighters arriving there immediately noticed a lot of smoke and called in reinforcements.
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In all, about a dozen fire units responded, including a ladder truck.
"Just in case. With a two-story house, we had heavy smoke when we got here," said Battalion Chief Brooke Hildreth with SAFD. "We had a car in the garage, an electric car, and it was plugged in and it probably started there."
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the garage.
The homeowner told KSAT 12 News the heat from the fire melted some collectibles that her family had stored there.
She said she believes the cause of the fire, more likely, was a fish tank that had been making an unusual noise lately.
Still, firefighters, convinced the car played a role in the fire, used the opportunity to warn other owners of electric vehicles about the potential danger.
"I would just hazard the people to make sure that you, if you're going to get the electric cars to be sure that when you do this, make sure that you do it properly," Hildreth said.
She said the best advice would be to seek the help of a professional electrician to be sure the car-charging system is installed properly.
The damage to the garage and its contents was estimated at $50,000.