SAN ANTONIO — Battling a fire in these hot temperatures is even more dangerous for firefighters.
On Thursday, more fire crews were needed to put out a house fire because of the heat. At one point, the smoke was so thick it was hard to see. San Antonio Fire told KENS 5 they activated their level 2 heat enhanced response for the fire at Duffield and East Fredericksburg.
For 25 years, Martha Valero lived at the home with her entire family.
"It is very sad," she said. All my three kids grew up there. My three grandsons. It was just a family home that we lived and my mother-in-law lived next door."
She was stunned while on FaceTime with her daughter who was there watching crews.
"It is so sad to see it go up in flames," she said.
A lot of fire crews showed up because of the hot temps. SAFD said the level 2 heat enhanced response means more firefighters show up to rotate in and out. They also have a longer rehab period, to cool down, and rehydrate.
I just passed by there on Tuesday."
Valero just drove by the home days ago. The family moved out in March. Now she just remembers the good times they had there.
"The family gatherings we had there, all the birthday parties, pretty much a lot of that," she said. It just all up in flames now."
It took crews 40 minutes to put the fire out. Fire officials said people were in the front yard burning trash and it spread to the home. No one was injured.