South Bexar County brush fire now 90% contained after scorching hundreds of acres, forcing evacuations

SAN ANTONIO — A brush fire in south Bexar County that led to evacuations Tuesday night is now 90% contained, according to officials’ latest update provided Wednesday morning. 

Firefighters initially responded to the 1600 block of Silver Mountain Drive – about 18 miles south of downtown San Antonio – around 2:44 p.m. Tuesday, when an authorized, controlled burn got “out of control” and started spreading quickly to nearby vehicles and homes. A shed was destroyed by the fire, but no homes, officials said Tuesday night. 

One firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, but no other injuries have been reported, according to authorities. 

The Texas A&M Forest Service dubbed the blaze the Silver Mountain Fire and said it burned 262 acres as of late Wednesday morning. 

“With the assistance from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and our law enforcement partners, these homes in direct line of the fire spread were evacuated,” said Mark Montgomery, assistant fire chief with Bexar County Emergency Services District 2, of the evacuations. 

Officials allowed some of those residents to return to their homes just after midnight. However, access remains restricted for residents living in the southern portion of Silver Mountain Drive as emergency crews continue operations to extinguish the remaining hot spots.

The San Antonio Fire Department said Tuesday night it was assisting, and responders from Atascosa County were also seen in the area. Rudy Khalaf, division chief with Bexar County ESD 2, said at least 33 units from 10 fire departments in all were on scene, with aerial water drops also working to help contain the Silver Mountain Fire. 

Bulldozers have cut fire lines in the ground to keep the fire away from the homes.

“Wildland personnel will likely be conducting backburns to prevent the fire from spreading to other unaffected areas,” Montgomery said.