A wind-driven fire threatened historic homes in the Tobin Hill neighborhood, but quick community response and firefighting efforts protected many.
SAN ANTONIO — Juanita lives in the 300 block of East Courtland Place just north of downtown, and she said Monday afternoon’s fast-moving fire was frightening, but she believes her neighbors will respond like they always do.
“My neighbors are social and compassionate, really decent individuals,” Juanita said, adding “It’s a community of persons who have a really good heart and soul and who understand that we keep an eye on each other and we make certain that everything is normal and everyone is getting along.”
It’s a practice that came in handy when a wind-driven fire raced down the alley between Courtland and Ashby Place about 3pm.
Juanita said “I think I’m the first one who found out. I saw that palm tree up in flames in the garage and the whole back of their garage was flames, so I ran across to my neighbor next door and said please call the fire department because I didn’t have my phone.”
With smoke visible for miles, and the roar of sirens and fire engines filling up several streets, Juanita said people responded and offered help from the outset.
Juanita said it’s a comfort, as she lost two storage buildings in her backyard, but with help she managed to save her beloved cats.
With her home and many others dating back more than 100 years, Juanita said the area is heavily vegetated, which created a big fuel load for the fire.
“I had bamboo and a lot of it was half dry so that’s gone. I no longer have bamboo but I’ve been trying to get rid of that for years,” Juanita said.
As for the two buildings lost to the fire, Juanita said they were both in a state of disrepair, filled with personal property that hasn’t been used in years.
“So I said I’m not going to worry about this stuff. I’m just going to worry about the cats,” Juanita said, adding that’s when neighbors started appearing and offering help.
“Everybody started walking out of their houses and to help to help or to see what they could do because they saw we sitting here,” Juanita said.
San Antonio Fire Battalion Chief Ryan Hartman said the initial call for help was for a tree on fire, but they quickly realized much more was at risk.
“We did have challenges,” Hartman said of the narrow alley and close quarters.
“There are homes, fence lines, a lot of sheds and a lot of different things inside the sheds and once the fire got going into that it was very hard and difficult to get into
and as you can tell it just kept spreading down with the wind pushing it,” Hartman said.
Using aerial support and hand lines on the ground, they were able to stop the flames from reaching any of the main homes in the block, although Hartman said one or two of the small buildings may have been occupied.
With prolonged drought conditions and high winds, fire officials across the nation are urging caution with any kind of sparks or outdoor burning.
To help families plan for fire emergencies, the San Antonio Fire Department has a website with life saving tips: www.firesafesa.com has many resources families can use to plan for safety.