Explosion, fire destroys mobile home on NE Side

Homeowners were out of town; no injuries reported in fire on Woodlake View

SAN ANTONIO – An explosion and fire destroyed a mobile home Wednesday morning on the city's Northeast Side.

Shortly after firefighters arrived around 7:30 a.m. in the 7900 block of Woodlake View, an explosion rocked the trailer, startling neighbors.

"We started running off, and maybe five, six seconds later, the house blew up," said John Troche, who tried to put out the fire. "I'm happy we got away. (My) ears were ringing, people went flying. It wasn't good."

Captain Alex Lopez of the Kirby Fire Department said the safety of firefighters was of foremost concern.

"My mindset is the safety of my men," Lopez said. "When I heard that hissing sound, I told them to start further back to work themselves forward to extinguish the fire."

Another challenge firefighters faced was the mobile home's unstable floor.

"(There was a) good, big gap between the floor and the ground itself, and depending on where the fire started, it can cause holes or 'sponging' is what we call it, to where it can cave and sink in," Lopez said.

No injuries were reported.

The couple who lives in the mobile home were out of town, neighbors said.

The Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office will investigate.


About the Authors:

David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.