Survivor of San Marcos apartment fire uses inspiring attitude to help others

Zachary Sutterfield, who suffered burns to 70% of his body in the Iconic Village Apartments fire six years ago, received an award for service on Saturday

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Zach Sutterfield survived the massive Iconic Village Apartments fire in San Marcos in 2018, losing two of his roommates and almost his own life.

Yet, Sutterfield rose from tragedy and turned his life into a mission to help others.

After all that he’s been through, Sutterfield still sees life as a beautiful opportunity.

“I was lucky enough to live from a very heinous experience and a difficult one,” said Sutterfield.

He suffered third-degree burns to 70% of his body in the fire.

“I think it is a sign of triumph and strength to look the fear of life in its eyes and say, ‘I got this,” said Sutterfield.

And that’s what he’s done with the help of organizations like the Texas Burn Survivors Society, offering support to patients and their families.

“Those people have seen me at my worst, where I was atrophied, and I couldn’t remember two to three minutes, to celebrating my graduation with me, celebrating me getting a job,” said Sutterfield.

Sutterfield gave back by helping with their activities, including Camp David, which is just for burn survivors. On Saturday, Sutterfield and his mother ‘DJ’ were awarded for that service at the organization’s annual fundraiser.

“There’s a lot of meaning in what I do, and I’m grateful to do it,” said Sutterfield.

Sutterfield’s mission now is education. He works for a nonprofit organization, Sons of the Flag, which started a chapter dedicated to teaching young adults fire safety.

“Be like, ‘Hey, I know you’re going to have fun out there in the college life, but do you know how to use a fire extinguisher? Do you know if your building is safe? Just the stuff I wish I would have known,” said Sutterfield.


About the Author
Courtney Friedman headshot

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.

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