Fire destroys family's garage

No one was injured, but a local family was displaced Monday night after fire raced through their garage at 101 Meadow Bluff, located off Hilliard Road.

The fire call came in at 8:28 p.m., South Hays Fire Chief Richard Kasko said.

“When we arrived it was a pretty aggressive fire but the guys got a good knockdown,” he said.

Kasko said his department sent two fire engines — each of which holds 1,000 gallons, two tender trucks — each of which holds 2,000 gallons,  his command vehicle and a pickup used as a medical response vehicle. San Marcos/Hays County EMS and the Hays County deputies also responded. 

Firefighters also used a portable pond they set up in the roadway because there are no fire hydrants in the neghborhood.

South Hays County Battalion Chief Evan Kean moves an intake hose in the water reservoir that feeds into the water tender truck.

The home, which belongs to the Perez family, also lost power, as did some neighbors, because a power line that essentially went over the garage failed, Kasko said, adding that utility crews were due on scene Tuesday morning to restore power.

“It really wasn’t safe” for the family after the fire, he said, adding that they “did have a relative nearby they were able to stay with.”

One of the reasons the fire was able to be quickly extinguished, he said, was that one engine rsponded from the South Hays station just down Hilliard Road.

Kasko said he cleared the scene around 11 a.m. after the county fire marshal had arrived to investigate the cause.

“We’ve got a pretty good idea where it started but no ruling on it yet,” Kasko said, adding that nothing malicious or suspicious is expected.

Edith Sanchez cradles her niece Jazmin Perez near the family’s car as they watch the fire burn from a safe distance.

Some people at the scene appeared to be worried about chemicals stored in the garage but Kasko said there was nothing that appeared unusual. “Everybody’s garage has chemicals stored.”

The family did lose one car that was in the garage.

Kasko said the case capped a long day for his firefighters.

“It was busy, busy, busy yesterday,” he said Tuesday. “We had a total of 11 calls,” all of which were medical related except the one to Oak Meadow.