SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A recent trend of fires breaking out in vacant buildings across the city is both troubling San Antonio firefighters and putting them to the test.
Since the beginning of April, KSAT 12 News has covered at least ten fires in vacant homes and other buildings.
One of the most recent such fires broke out after 4 a.m. Thursday inside what was supposed to be an unoccupied home in the 100 block of Grosvenor Boulevard.
“We had a vacant house that was fully engulfed in flames,” said Battalion Chief Oscar Gonzalez with SAFD. “At this point, we’re kind of following a couple of leads.”
Gonzalez was not able to say right away was caused the fire. He said investigators were working to determine that.
However, Gonzalez did determine that fire crews had been to the same home for another fire just last Saturday.
No one was hurt either time, and no other property was damaged or destroyed.
The toll from fires like this, though, is adding up.
Below is a map of 10 fires that we have covered since April:
Among the nearly dozen fires in vacant structures that KSAT 12 News has covered since April was one that destroyed an entire apartment building on Pecan Valley.
Another fire on North Flores damaged an empty home that, previously, had been declared historic. “There is a trend, obviously, as you noted on that,” Gonzalez said. “Various factors. At this point, it’s difficult to pinpoint just one.”
He was not able to offer any one reason for the fires.
However, Gonzalez mentioned at least one way they could be prevented.
He recommended that everyone keep an eye out for suspicious activity near vacant homes and report anything that they see.
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