SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio fire fighters responded to a house fire on the city's northside Saturday afternoon.
According to officials fire crews received a call about a structure fire around 11:00 a.m. on Woodcrest Drive. San Antonio Fire Battalion Chief Michael Garcia said most of the fire was coming out of the back side of the house when they arrived. When firefighters went in, they found something a little different.
"We were able to put out the fire, and afterwards, we found some pets," Garcia said. "It was difficult to get around by virtue of the number of animals, and there were a lot of items on the floor."
Garcia said the home had five dogs, but that was just the start. There were also three birds, a Sulcata tortoise, and an iguana. The birds died in the fire but the other animals were successfully rescued.
Garcia said the owner may have had a second tortoise but they could not located it. No persons were found inside the home.
Animal Care Services took the animals into custody shortly afterwards. Spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said ACS had veterinarians look over all the animals after they came into custody. She said the dogs did suffer smoke inhalation and they are still being treated and evaluated.
The battalion chief said the house was still "viable" but there was heavy fire damage to multiple rooms, walls, floors, and the attic. He said the fire started in a bedroom but the cause of the fire is still undetermined.
Garcia also said the first fire hydrant SAFD used did not work so they needed to pull water from a second hydrant further away. The department had extra units to assist in securing that water. Garcia said SAFD's trucks had enough water to knock down the initial flames.
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