SAN ANTONIO — A family is searching for a new home after theirs burned down in a massive fire. It happened around 9:30 p.m. on Monday off White Deer Lane.
Jesse Kucher, 38, was able to get his wife and two sons out before flames consumed the house.
“He is a hero,” said Kucher’s brother-in-law, Mike Taylor. “He got them out within minutes. He has six dogs and a turtle, and he kept running back into the house. The officers realized he had been burned pretty bad and called for EMS to come over. The one officer said, ‘I thought that was leaves on my hand,’ and the other officer said, ‘That was probably his skin.’”
Kucher suffered several burns, but Taylor says his brother-in-law saved all six dogs.
“Miraculously, the turtle we found yesterday in the rubble,” said Taylor. “It was alive.”
Beaming with pride, Taylor says his nephew Jaxson Kucher also saved the family. The 9-year-old saw flames on the back porch, Taylor says, and alerted his parents.
“If it would have been any later and they would have been asleep, I don’t know if they would have survived,” Taylor teared up.
Devin Ray, 12, lives a few doors down. He remembers being overwhelmed by the sight of flashing lights and the smell of smoke on Monday.
“It was dark and stuff, but it felt like it was daytime with all the lights,” said Ray. “While we are standing there watching, it looked like it just got progressively worse. We just saw the flames getting higher and higher and higher.”
The house is a total loss, fire officials say. The Kucher's were renting the home. While they had renters’ insurance, Taylor says they lost nearly everything.
“All they had were the clothes on their back, no shoes or anything,” said Taylor. “They have six dogs, so they need dog food. My little nephew graduated from middle school last night and he was courageous enough to go. They had to get clothing for him to go to his grad ceremony. My nephews are traumatized.”
Taylor has set up a GoFundMe page to help the Kucher's rebuild and recover. If you would like to help, click HERE. The family also appreciates prayers.
According to the Bexar County Fire Marshal, the fire was started by a lithium-ion battery.