SAN ANTONIO — A man escaped from an early morning fire on the west side early Tuesday after he said his dog alerted him that something was wrong.
Benito Sanchez recently moved into his mother’s home and says nothing could prepare him for what he witnessed. What began as a night in turned into a nightmarish reality for Benito Sanchez.
"All the grandchildren she had pictures of them and she always displayed them for everyone to see," he said. "And it’s all gone now.”
San Antonio firefighters responded to the 2900 block of Tampico Street near South Zarzamora Street just after 2 a.m. for reports of a fire.
When crews arrived, one home was completely engulfed by flames, and there was concern the fire may spread to a second home on the right.
Despite efforts to suppress it – those flames spread to Sanchez's mother’s home. The corner of the roof and side wall was burned on the next house. Still shaken up, his 76-year-old mother is now living with his sister.
“I just worry about my mom, because she didn’t have insurance on the house," he said. "And how we’re going to get her back on her feet.”
He says his neighbor who lived where the fire started, suffered injuries to their arms, back and face.
“What we heard this morning is it was a heater that they had out here the dog – because it was kind of cold last night. And the fireman said that’s what started the fire.”
Sanchez continues the neighbor had propane and gas tanks that exploded and caused the fire to spread. SAFD has said they suspect it’s electrical.
Everyone made it out safely with no injuries.
The man in the first home to catch fire said his dog alerted him that something was wrong. He and the family from the second home will all be displaced. The Red Cross is working to assist them.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by fire investigators.
Officials say the residents said something about having a hard time charging a battery but the batallion chief was not sure what the battery was for.
Both homes are a complete loss. The Sanchez family is left with ashes where there once were possessions that couldn’t be replaced.
“Emotional loss of lot of things that my mom had,” Sanchez said.
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