SAN ANTONIO – A woman in her late 60s woke up in the middle of the night to find her home in Northwest Bexar County on fire.
Firefighters said Patricia Jay was sleeping on a recliner, when she woke up around 2:20 a.m. after hearing a popping noise.
Despite having a bad leg, Jay ran outside her burning home in the 14800 block of North Michael Loop.
Jay, who is diabetic and has high blood pressure, suffered mild smoke inhalation but didn't require hospitalization, fire officials said. A dog died in the fire.
Firefighters said when they arrived, flames were shooting out the front windows.
The fire was extinguished in about 10 minutes. Firefighters recovered some personal belongings, but the home and most of the contents were considered a total loss. Damage was estimated at $50,000.
Jay's son, who sleeps in the front room where the fire began, was working at the time of the fire.
"I'm just thankful that Terry was not here on the patio asleep at the time, or else we would have lost him, too," Michelle Jay, the woman's daughter-in-law, said.
Firefighters said a malfunctioning ceiling fan was to blame for the fire.
The holidays have been anything but joyful for the Jay family.
In the last couple of weeks, a family member died and a close friend lost a baby.
"So it's been really rough, and I worry about her being out here by herself sometimes," Michelle Jay said.
The family has set up a Go Fund Me account to help them get back on their feet.