SAN ANTONIO – Two homes are expected to be total losses following a fire on the West Side on Thursday morning, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.
SAFD Public Information Officer Joe Arrington said a neighbor called in the fire around 10:30 a.m. in the 10700 block of Leopard Path, not far from Loop 1604 and West Military Drive.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames coming from two homes.
Firefighters made an “aggressive interior attack” but conditions quickly deteriorated, Arrington said.
Arrington added there was some structural collapse with the flames going through the roof, and they “had to go defensive” with ladder trucks.
It appears the two homes will be total losses, Arrington said.
No injuries have been reported.
Arrington said firefighters will be at the scene “for a while” due to untenable conditions. Roads are closed in the area.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Bexar County ESD 2 assisted in the response.
Snake slithered to safety, personal items ‘gone’
Amy Balonbini, who lives in the neighboring home, told KSAT she was teaching when her husband called and said their house was on fire.
Balonbini said her son’s snake was initially trapped in the house but was later found by firefighters outside.
“She came out long after the fire, it wasn’t even extinguished. She crawled under the fire truck,” Balonbini said.
Evan Southall, a person who lives at the home where SAFD says the fire originated, told KSAT their belongings are “all gone.”
Southall and his family have lived at the home for about eight months.
Southall said his mom, 66, and cousin, 32, were inside at the time.
Fire ‘had a head start on us’
According to Arrington, the fire might have been burning for some time before it was detected.
“Realistically, what plays a factor is it had a head start on us,” Arrington said.
The weather did not play a major role since the San Antonio area experienced less wind on Thursday, he added.
“It’s obviously not as bad as it has been, fortunately,” he said. “It could have been much worse if it was if it was as windy as it was yesterday, we could have been looking at three to four structures,” he said.
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