BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – As firefighters battled multiple brush fires in south and southeast Bexar County, residents recounted moments of fear and uncertainty when flames threatened their homes.
The Calaveras Fire near Southton Road and Interstate 37 was just one of several fires causing devastation across the area.
Firefighters also responded to the Duke Fire around 1 p.m. Tuesday on Trumbo Road.
The fire quickly spread to Duke Road, Peaceful Lane and surrounding areas, according to officials. The fire, fueled by high-speed wind gusts, affected around 37 structures in south Bexar County and north Atascosa County.
>> Around 37 structures affected in Duke Fire in south Bexar, north Atascosa counties, officials say
The flames grew rapidly, prompting mandatory evacuations for residents and closing several roads.
The Duke Fire burned through 50 acres before firefighters were able to bring it to 90% containment by Tuesday evening, officials said.
Many residents have returned to find their homes intact, but for others, the damage is still being assessed.
‘All I have’
Mark Shear, a resident near Southton Road, said the fire came within feet of his home.
“Not everybody is rich, we all struggle, it’s just this is all I have,” Shear said, describing the overwhelming fear of seeing flames encroach on his property.
Fortunately, his mobile home and trailer were spared, as was his dog who had been left inside while he was at work.
For other residents, the decision to evacuate meant leaving behind everything they owned, unsure of whether they would return to find their homes still standing.
Domenique Robledo, who lives near Southton Road, expressed the anxiety many felt when the fire moved in.
“Everything we’ve worked hard for, and just to know that it can just be gone just like that,” Robledo said.
Michael Delgado, another resident, said he had to quickly grab only the essentials, including clothes for his daughter and food for his dog.
Delgado, like many others, was forced to evacuate when flames crept closer, and uncertainty about the fire’s path left him anxious about the future.
Asia Lemmon, who lives near Duke Road, has lived through wildfires in California and never thought she would face such a crisis again.
“It’s very helpless, it’s an awful feeling. I’ve been through this twice before in California,” Lemmon said. “I did not think I would have to go through it again in Texas, it’s terrible.”
Lemmon said she felt agony when authorities told her she could not go back to pick up her daughter, who was at home during the evacuation.
“My daughter is at the end of this road and it’s a mile and a half long, and they won’t let me go get her, they said to make her walk out,” Lemmon said.
Resilience amid destruction
Officials said some of the 37 structures affected in the Duke Fire were vacant, while others were occupied.
Two Bexar County strike teams and approximately 100 firefighters helped to contain the fire, officials said.
An unknown number of cats died in the fire, while some horses managed to escape the area, according to Bexar County Emergency Services Districts No. 2 Chief Ralph Rodriguez.
One firefighter was injured, experiencing difficulty breathing, and was taken to a hospital, Rodriguez said. Their condition remains unknown.
Authorities are still working to assess the full extent of the damage, but the community has come together to support one another in the aftermath.
A temporary shelter was set up for evacuees at the Mission San Francisco De La Espada Catholic Church, where displaced residents found comfort during the crisis.
Despite the destruction, officials have reported no people were killed in the fires.
As many residents begin returning to their homes Tuesday evening, the emotional toll of the fires was evident.
For some, like Shear, there’s a sense of relief as their homes were spared. For others, like Robledo and Delgado, the next steps are uncertain as they assess the damage to their properties.
While the immediate danger has passed, authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, and residents are urged to stay vigilant.
Shear said he remains deeply shaken by the experience.
“It looked like hell out here,” he said.
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