BULVERDE, Texas — Three days after a massive fire tore through a far northside apartment building, residents are left with nothing but questions.
At around 9 p.m. on Saturday, a fire sparked at a The Anthony at Canyon Springs. Flames weren’t the only challenge crews battled. Responding firefighters told KENS 5 they struggled to find a water source.
“It’s terrible,” said Jerry Rodriguez. “It’s a nightmare. I’m always going to remember this weekend.”
Rodriguez says he drove downtown to meet a friend just after 8 p.m. on Saturday. It was the last time he saw his 9-year-old Pekingese, Herby.
“I called him my little man,” said Rodriguez. “He was my companion. I leave my dog in a safe place and think, ‘I’m coming back to see him.’ And I come back to nothing.”
Rodriguez says staff at the apartment complex didn’t notify him his building was on fire.
“I got a call from my friend,” he said. “She doesn’t live in the complex, she lives about two blocks away. Then I come to find out that the fire hydrants were not working. I want to know what the heck is going on.”
10 units were destroyed, fire officials say.
According to the Bexar-Bulverde Fire Department, crews were unable to get water from some of the hydrants.
“This is a private system inside the private complex,” said Battalion Chief Jeff O’Leary. “So, we are addressing that with the property owners.”
“I also heard that they had been working on the water sprinklers,” said Rodriguez. “What happened was someone forgot to turn them [back] on.”
Rodriguez believes the fire wouldn’t have been so destructive if the apartment complex was better prepared.
To this day, he still doesn’t know if Herby is trapped in the rubble.
Fire investigators have the building taped off. A spokesperson for the Bexar-Bulverde Fire Department says it’s unsafe for firefighters and residents to access the second floor because several sections of the roof and subfloor have collapsed.
According to a fire official, crews flew a drone over the building three times searching for Herby.
“Everything is just gone,” said Rodriguez. “[But] the most important thing is my dog.”
The Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.
Cushman and Wakefield manages The Anthony at Canyon Springs. A company spokesperson said they will not be commenting on the incident.