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Firefighters: North Side home where woman died had no smoke detectors

Fire sparked by air conditioner plugged into extension cord, investigators say

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio firefighters say a North Side home that went up in flames, killing a woman early Tuesday had no working smoke detectors.

In fact, according to Woody Woodward, a public information officer, firefighters did not find any smoke detectors at all.

They responded to the home, located in the 100 block of Rilla Vista, around 4 a.m. and found flames and smoke coming from a back room.

Fire crews entered the home and found the woman dead, not far from the front door, Woodward said.

He said they also found two pets, a dog and cat, dead inside the home. A third pet, another dog, escaped the fire.

Woodward said firefighters believe a dangerous situation involving an extension cord is what started the fire.

He said the extension cord had been run underneath a bed and was plugged into a portable air conditioning unit.

It appears the woman was aware of the fire and may have been trying to escape at the time, he said.

The woman, who firefighters described as “elderly,” was the only one inside the home at the time.

A neighbor told KSAT 12 News that an older woman did live there alone.

The fire victim has not been positively identified yet.


About the Authors
Katrina Webber headshot

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Ben Spicer headshot

Ben Spicer is a digital journalist who works the early morning shift for KSAT.

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