SAN ANTONIO – A beloved neighbor and brother died Saturday night in a house fire on the city’s South Side.
Broken windows, blackened belongings, and a scorched roof are all that remain of Edward Martinez’s home.
The only thing not destroyed is a bouquet of flowers left by a neighbor who cared deeply for the 63-year-old man.
A man was killed last night in a house fire on Flanders Avenue. His family identifying him at Edward Martinez. SAFD says the fire call came in around 10:15 last night, when they got to the home it was engulfed in flames. @ksatnews pic.twitter.com/bMp57UZNTr
— Leigh Waldman (@LeighWaldman) November 14, 2021
“They cared for him and they were all looking out for each other,” Ven Martinez, Edward’s brother, said.
Ven identified his brother as the man who died in the fire overnight. Ven came to see the damage for himself on Sunday.
“I grew up here in the early-mid 80s as a teen, and my brother moved in later. You know, after we moved out, he kept the house and he’s been here for about 30 years,” Ven said.
San Antonio Fire Department tells us the home on Flanders Avenue went up in flames Saturday night around 10:15 p.m.
Once they got the fire under control, that’s when they went inside and found Edward dead in a bedroom.
A neighbor, who didn’t want to go on camera, said he tried to get inside before fire crews got there to save Edward, but it was too late.
“He’d give his shirt off his back for you, the type of person that if you needed help, he’d be there. He cut neighbors’ lawns and just helped out people,” Ven said.
Ven said their family called Edward “Eddie,” and that he recently retired from a long career in construction. He also had a passion for fishing -- one he shared with his brother Ven when they were young.
”I just feel bad because he just...he had more life in him, you know, he had more to give,” Ven said.
The cause of the fire is still unknown and the investigation continues.
More on KSAT:
One person killed in house fire on South Side overnight, fire officials say