SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio firefighters battled a fire at a permanently shut down bar on the city’s Northeast Side early Wednesday morning.
The fire was called in just before 4:30 a.m. at what was previously Midnight Rodeo, not far from both Thousand Oaks and Nacogdoches Road.
Firefighters said when they arrived they found the 25,000-square-foot building covered with heavy smoke. At this time, is unclear exactly what caused the fire.
San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood said the business has been shut down since 2019 and that they found evidence of people living inside. The two-story building has undergone various renovations and remodeling projects over the years, so there are several layers of wood inside, Hood said.
The fire chief said firefighters are working from the outside and waiting for the roof to burn off so they can access the inside from above with water. The roof eventually collapsed, sending the fire shooting out of the front of the building.
Hood said he found out that the building had electricity up until last week and that the bar had a full stock of alcohol, just as it was the day it shut down.
Authorities said firefighters had a hard time getting into the building originally, because the doors were secured. There have been no reports of injuries to firefighters.
Hood says while they believe no one is inside the building, they have not done a thorough search. They expect to be there for several more hours.
According to the San Antonio Fire Department website, as many as 43 units answered the call. Many have since been released. KSAT 12 has a crew at the scene.
This is a developing story. Stay with KSAT12 both online and on-air for more information.