1 dead in West Side house fire

Fire was called just after 6 a.m. in 300 block of Plainview Dr.

SAN ANTONIO – One person is dead following an early morning house fire on the city's West Side, San Antonio police said Thursday.

The fire was reported just after 6 a.m. at a home in the 300 block of Plainview Drive, not far from St. Mary's University.

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According to police, the man killed is in his early 50s and was deceased before firefighters arrived. Authorities said there were no signs of foul play or trauma, but the homicide department still is handling the case. 

San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood said firefighters arrived to find heavy flames at the home, with the fire visible from the roof. He said the cause of the fire is not known, so arson investigators will work to determine its source.

Hood specified that the unidentified man was not in the area of the home where the fire started. However, there was heavy smoke throughout the house.

Several streets in the area were shut down as emergency crews worked at the scene. Esmeralda Drive was shut down between Culebra Road and Inez Avenue but it has since reopened. Plainview Drive was also closed from Esmeralda to Northwest 36th Street but it also has reopened.

According to the San Antonio Fire Department's website, as many as 15 units answered the call.

This is a developing story. Stay with KSAT 12 both online and on-air for more information.


About the Authors:

Ben Spicer is a digital journalist who works the early morning shift for KSAT.

Alicia Barrera is a KSAT 12 News reporter and anchor. She is also a co-host of the streaming show KSAT News Now. Alicia is a first-generation Mexican-American, fluent in both Spanish and English with a bachelor's degree from Our Lady of the Lake University. She enjoys reading books, traveling solo across Mexico and spending time with family.