SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio arson investigators are trying to find the cause of a fire that broke out inside a West Side sports bar after hours.
A passerby called 911 around 6 a.m. after noticing smoke coming from the eaves of the building.
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When firefighters arrived in the 5400 block of Enrique Barrerra Parkway a short time later, they also noticed flames coming from the roof.
However, once they made their way inside Reptilez Sports Bar, they found something that was even more unexpected.
“We weren’t really expecting to find any victims inside in a bar that’s been closed down for several hours,” said Capt. Chris Lange with SAFD. “But when the crews first opened the front door, someone was just inside that door.”
Firefighters helped that man, who had suffered some minor burns, to make his way out of the bar.
They say, though, that he refused any further treatment by EMS crews.
The man, who later was seen walking around barefoot and with no clothing other than a T-shirt around his waist, spent some time answering questions from San Antonio police.
It wasn’t immediately clear who he was or why he was inside the building at the time of morning.
Fire crews, meanwhile, continued battling the fire with some difficulty.
They say the layout of the building made it tough for them to navigate with all their equipment.
“The smoke had banked all the way down to the floor so guys are going into an environment that they’ve never been in,” Lange said. “From the outside, it looks like it’s one big open thing but then you imagine there’s offices and things like that in there.”
No firefighters suffered any injuries.
Lange said the damage to the inside of the bar was extensive, estimated at about $80,000.