SAN ANTONIO — Fire officials say a man was found dead after flames tore through half of a duplex on San Antonio's southeast side Monday afternoon.
Crews with the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) responded to the 4400 block of Meeks Avenue, near Southcross and Clark, shortly before 3 p.m. According to SAFD Chief Charles Hood, firefighters saw a window was broken, "indicating there was a high rate of heat in the house."
Crews quickly extinguished the fire before finding the unidentified victim dead on a couch. Hood says he appeared to have been physically disabled, pointing to a walker, wheelchair and ramp in the unit.
Neighbors said he was elderly and living alone.
“I feel sorry for the old guy," one neighbor, Jeff, told KENS 5. “He kept to himself, he was real real quiet.”
It's unknown as of now what may have started the fire, but Hood said there were no working smoke detectors in the unit, adding his crews were going to check on nearby properties to make sure they were equipped with working detectors. The other half of the duplex wasn't damaged.
“I don’t know if our works or not, but I’m guessing it probably don’t," Jeff said.
Hood also emphasized the importance of being smart with heating your home on an overcast afternoon when temperatures were struggling to reach 50 degrees. He offered the following reminders for San Antonians:
- Check that your smoke detectors are working.
- Make sure your heater has been checked by experts.
- Don't use too many extension cords.
- Don't use stovetops or ovens to heat your home.
- Be careful with space heats, especially if you have children or pets.
- Don't use anything that might create carbon monoxide indoors.
"This is an unfortunate situation, but we're reporting no other injuries to residents or firefighters," Hood said.
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