SAN ANTONIO — An iconic dancehall is demolished. Midnight Rodeo is now just a pile of rubble.
The massive fire was no easy task for firefighters, which destroyed the legendary nightspot.
From dark-to-day, crews spent hours putting out the flames that tore through the building. The smoke filled the sky on the northeast side.
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said homeless people were living in the vacant building. He said it was like a maze inside which made the conditions dangerous.
He said it had been vacant since 2019, and inside he said there were still alcohol, chairs, and table. The chief said the fire is suspicious and most likely to blame on the homeless people who took shelter.
Meanwhile, many like Diane Andrews are reflecting on the good times they had at the spot.
“To a lot of people, it was just a building,” she said. “I immediately started crying."
Even though it had been shuttered for years, Andrews remembers special moments in life she had with her husband at Midnight Rodeo.
"It is the first place he kissed me,” she said. “If it were still standing, I would go show you the lamp pole he kissed me under."
Andrews said after their wedding, they went to Midnight Rodeo to celebrate. She said it is the nights on the dance floor that won’t be forgotten.
“It was a big part of my life, and a lot of people would think that is silly, it is just a bar, and you can't meet the love of your life at bar,” she said. “But i did. The dancing here took us away from all the troubles and all of the worries."
Since it closed in 2019, neighbors had been worried about what was happening inside.
City Councilman Clayton Perry had just toured the place and said was a like a hotel for the homeless. He said it was full of trash and there was evidence of possible drug manufacturing.
Since the fire destroyed everything, now it is a mangled mess of metal and debris.
“A lot of people are said right now,” she said.
Chief Hood is confident the fire started in the inside. Since the building is gone, the cause of the fire could be hard to figure out.
KENS 5 is told the city and the owner will have a meeting on Monday, that was already scheduled.