SAN ANTONIO – A fire broke out in a vacant home undergoing remodeling on the city’s East Side early Tuesday morning, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.
The fire was called in just before 6 a.m. at a home in the 100 block of South Mesquite Street, not far from East Commerce Street and North Hackberry Street.
Firefighters said when they arrived they found the home boarded up with smoke pouring out through the front door. They had to remove the boards to put out the fire, and when they did, it caused the fire to flare up a bit, fire officials said.
Firefighters initially used water from the fire truck, but it ran out. However, a second truck had water and they also tapped into a nearby hydrant, so water ultimately didn’t become an issue. The fire did not threaten any other nearby homes.
A battalion chief said all the boards were still in place, so it didn’t appear as if any homeless people were staying inside. The cause of the fire is not currently known.
Authorities say the fire started in a back corner of the house so it’s possible that it was related to the renovations, but they couldn’t say for sure. A fire investigation team will try and figure out the exact cause.