SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio firefighters responded to another deadly fire on Monday morning — the 11th of the year, according to fire department officials.
SAFD officials keep track based on the City of San Antonio’s fiscal calendar which goes from October to September but said the number of deaths in 2022 has already surpassed last year’s total of ten fire-related deaths in San Antonio.
Monday morning’s fire broke out in a vacant building in the 4300 block of South Flores Street. Firefighters battled heavy flames and smoke in the back of a building and found a man dead on the floor next to a wheelchair.
“Once the fire was knocked down to a certain degree and we were able to go back in, that’s when we found one person deceased,” said SAFD spokesman Woody Woodward.
The man’s identity had not been released as of Monday afternoon, but Woodward said an investigation into the fire continues. He added that officials are making efforts to get the word out to people about fire safety.
“We would remind the public to remember our new safety campaign, which is called SCAN,” said Woodward.
SCAN stands for smoke detectors, clearing the path for escape, action plan and neighbors. Woodward said it’s especially important to check and connect with older relatives vulnerable to fire dangers.
“We do see a lot of these fatalities happen with older individuals that may live alone. And so it’s important to get out there and meet your neighbors, check on your family members, make sure they don’t have too much clutter in their homes, make sure that they have working smoke detectors,” Woodward said.
Woodward said many deaths this year have been preventable.
“We’re not going to solve this problem unless we get everyone to do their part,” said Woodward.
You can find more information on fire safety and SCAN by clicking here.