SAN ANTONIO – A massive fire at a North Side apartment complex has sent two people to the hospital and destroyed the homes of more than a dozen occupants early Thursday morning, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.
The fire was called in just before 3 a.m. at the ICON Apartments in the 1300 block of Patricia Drive, not far from both Blanco Road and Churchill High School.
Firefighters said when they arrived they found a heavy fire on the second floor of an apartment building and several people on the balconies and immediately began rescuing them.
One woman suffered minor burns and another person jumped from the balcony and was hurt. Both people were taken to a hospital to be checked out.
The fire eventually spread on the second floor and extended to the length of the building, causing the entire roof to collapse, the SAFD said. They got the fire under control in roughly 25 minutes.
Firefighters say more than a dozen people were forced to evacuate their homes. The whole building is now out of commission and residents will now have to find a new place to stay.
Several pets were also killed as a result of the fire, the fire department said.
The cause of the fire is not immediately clear. Residents claim a lightning strike was the likely cause of the blaze, but fire officials could not immediately confirm that.
The fire spread into attic spaces and the units on the second floor.
Authorities said 15 of the 16 units were occupied and that all 16 were heavily damaged by fire, smoke and water. Apartment managers and the Red Cross are working to find a place for the residents.
According to the San Antonio Fire Department website, as many as 37 units answered the call.