The Guerra family lost their house in the fast-moving Duke Fire on March 4, 2025. With the help of community support, they were able to move into a new home.
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — More than a year after losing her home in the Duke Fire, Jessica Guerra is rebuilding her life on the same property where the flames once tore through her family’s neighborhood.
Along Big Leaf Road, Guerra and her family are settling into a new home, a fresh start made possible through community support.
“The community, my friends, my family, the church, they helped us out,” Guerra said. “A lot of donations and I’m thankful for that.”
In early March of 2025, the Duke Fire burned more than 240 acres in Bexar and Atascosa counties, destroying more than 30 structures, including six homes and forcing families to rebuild from scratch. The Guerra family’s home was among those lost.
Following her fire, Guerra, her partner and their children relied on relatives and community donations while they worked toward rebuilding.
Now back on their property along Big Leaf Road, the family is making the most of what they have.
“We just got what we can,” Guerra said. “But it’s a home.”
Even with a new house, Guerra still feels the emotional toll of the fire.
“Still struggling, still trying to process with things,” Guerra said. “I see fires on TV and if I see somebody throw a cigarette butt. There’s times when people do barbecues, it just like, startles me.”
Through the challenges, Guerra has shown resilience alongside her family.
“What’s keeping me strong is my faith,” Guerra said. “My faith and my love toward God.”
Meantime, Bexar County fire crews have been preparing for the possibility of new fires to ignite.
Strike teams made up of multiple fire departments are ready to deploy in the event weather conditions increase the risk of wildfires spreading quickly.
“We’ve done the back-end work to make sure that we’re ready to go even if it’s a small fire,” said Lt. Matt Post, public information officer with the Bexar County Emergency Services District #7. “We have everyone in the right place to respond as fast as we can just to protect as much as we can.”
Post reflected on how critical the strike teams were in helping fight and contain the Duke Fire.
“It destroyed a lot of land and a lot of homes. But, if we didn’t do that beforehand – if Bexar County didn’t prepare the County correctly as it did, it would have been a lot worse,” Post said.
Those teams are typically activated when conditions such as high winds, low humidity and high temperatures create a heightened wildfire threat.
While a recent Red Flag Warning has expired, Bexar County’s burn ban remains in place.
Fire officials are urging residents to take simple precautions to reduce fire risk, including grilling on pavement or gravel and clearing dry vegetation and debris around homes to create a defensible space.
To learn more about wildfire conditions and fire safety precautions, go to this link.