The Beacon Hill neighborhood was fairly calm Thursday morning until about 9:45 a.m.
That's when a surveillance camera mounted on a house just off Blanco Road recorded images of a man walking into an alley, moving around a bit and starting a fire.
Although a privacy fence blocks the view of the actual moment of combustion, just 60 seconds after the man leaves the alley, smoke can be seen rising from the area.
Moments later, neighbors nearby were alerted by their surveillance camera that something was going terribly wrong.
The small fire that started in the alley quickly consumed dry vegetation in the alley, two wooden fences and then a small backyard storage shed filling the air with thick smoke.
Numerous neighbors said they immediately called the fire department for help and they praised the quick action of crews that arrived fast and had the fire out in just a few minutes.
Phoenix Salinas lives a few doors away and he says he was shocked when he saw video clips of the fast moving fire on social media.
Salinas said before he saw the video, he felt sorry for the man because he thought it was a cold transient, down on his luck and trying to get out of the cold.
"Initially I just thought he was trying to stay warm. But watching that video it really does tick me off," Salinas said.
In a neighborhood where many of the homes date back 100 years or more, Salinas said the thought of a wind-driven fire is especially frightening.
"It could have just as easily been our backyard or my neighbor's backyard where they have kids playing in the backyard," Salinas said, adding that everyone was fortunate that the incident happened during daylight hours when people were paying attention.
"If that had been in the nighttime, it could have been a lot worse and a lot more dangerous. We could be sleeping and in five minutes the whole house is up in flames," Salinas said, adding that most of the homes nearby are two stories, making the chance of a nighttime escape even more difficult.
The people who lost their storage shed didn't want to comment on the record, but they did point out their losses, which were much more than monetary.
In the blackened remains, there were broken memories of Christmas past, charred remains of camping equipment and lots of well-used hand tools with sentimental value.
Beacon Hill Arson
In a social media post, people who lived nearby immediately chimed in, offering clues about other recent arson cases in the area.
One said while property can be replaced, they were grateful for the support of neighbors who care and watch out for each other.
The post reads:
"It could have been much, much worse with actual lives being lost (thank god for awesome neighbors) and awesome response by the fire department, " adding "Let's stay vigilant and keep an eye out for one another."
The arson bureau is looking for additional clues about the identity of the man and San Antonio police have increased patrols in the area as well.
Beacon Hill has a robust neighborhood association, that offers many different ways for people to enjoy their historic charm and modern amenities.
More information about the area can be found here.