SAN ANTONIO -- Fire swept through part of an apartment complex on the North Side Monday afternoon, damaging 20 apartments and leaving 34 families homeless.
Fire crews were called to the Fox Run Apartments in the 10000 block of Broadway around 3:00 p.m. At one point, some of the residents were running door-to-door to alert their neighbors about the fire. Smoke could be seen from miles away.
When firefighters arrived, they had to go on the defensive and "surround and drown" the fire, using cranes to get hoses high enough to fight the flames from above the structures.
The San Antonio Fire Department says building 15 is "demolished" and buildings 8, 13, 14 & 16 sustained heavy damage.
More than 100 firefighters and paramedics worked through record-breaking heat. Fire Chief Charles Hood said it was a "challenge" for them to stay hydrated.
The Red Cross is helping the more than 30 families left homeless.
Investigators are working to find out what caused the fire. SAFD last inspected the complex August 1, 2012, and found no reported violations.
