SAN MARCOS, TX – A San Antonio woman who survived the deadly San Marcos apartment fire said she's unable to forget the traumatizing moment she escaped from her burning apartment by jumping out of her second story window.
While the massive fire claimed the lives of at least five people and seriously injured one person, Andrea Torres was able to walk away with minor discomfort.
Torres said she was awakened at 4:30 a.m. Friday by the smell of smoke.
“I get up, open my bedroom door and immediately there's a wave of smoke coming to me,” she recalled. “And now, I can hear people screaming and a sound that sounded like gun shots. I thought the apartment was being shot up.”
She said she rushed to wake up her roommate and tried to exit through the front door, but the hallway was engulfed in flames.
“We got to the front door and she opens it, and there's a wall of flames already just glowing bright red and yellow,” she said.
The pair made a run for the window where they had to make the decision to jump. With only a blanket as cushion, she said her adrenaline was leading her.
“I sat on the edge and I had to use my arms to lower myself down to the second story to lessen my fall,” Torres said.
Her roommate suffered spine and ankle injuries from the lifesaving jump.
After jumping from the second story, she said she remembered a chaotic scene at ground level.
She had just a second to look up and snap a picture of the flames reaching their apartment door.
“I wish there had been an alarm to get me out of bed sooner,” Torres said. “But it wasn’t until much later when I was on the other side of the street that I started hearing alarms.”
Officials said they haven't determined what caused the fire, or what caused it to spread so quickly. On Monday, authorities said there were 50 investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives working to find the cause.
The Texas State graduate said that while she had plans to move out of state to start her career search, she's now taking each day in stride following the traumatic incident.