Investigation Begins into Fire that Sent Dark, Dense Black Smoke into San Angelo Skies Monday

SAN ANGELO, TX — “I was told no one was in it at the time of the fire, but someone likely was,” said San Angelo Fire Department Fire Investigator Joanna Jackson. An extension cord was stretched to inside the old corrugated metal shed. That is, a metal shed similar to the kind one can purchase at Lowe’s or Sear’s. Inside, a mattress was resting against one of the walls and a hot plate propane stove was inside. Next to the stove, a couple of Coleman propane cans were discovered, Jackson said.

Near the shed, but off the property in the right-of-way adjacent, syringe needles were discovered. Jackson was reluctant to suggest the needles had anything to do with activities in or around the old shed, now burned and destroyed. “Someone could have thrown the needles out of a passing car,” she said.

The fire investigation is continuing and no final determination has been made as of 3 p.m. Monday, less than one hour since the fire broke out.

The official address of this afternoon's fire was 117 W. 8th St. 

Shortly after 2 p.m. what was reported as a structure fire broke out north of the Houston Harte, sending a large plume of dense black smoke high into the air.

Ladder 1 arrived first and almost immediately knocked the fire down. Other units were still on the way for backup. From initial call to the call that the fire was under control, it consumed less than 10 minutes.

[[{"fid":"26395","view_mode":"preview","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Fire on 7th St. between U.S. 277 and Chadbourne on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)","title":"Fire on 7th St. between U.S. 277 and Chadbourne on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)","height":"675","width":"1200","class":"media-element file-preview imgbody"}}]]

The battalion commander called for a fire marshal to come investigate.

Once we arrived at the scene, the first department was finishing up their work on an old, likely abandoned shed. The SAFD cleared out within about 30 minutes.

[[{"fid":"26396","view_mode":"preview","type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Fire on 7th St. between U.S. 277 and Chadbourne on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)","title":"Fire on 7th St. between U.S. 277 and Chadbourne on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)","height":"675","width":"1200","class":"media-element file-preview imgbody"}}]]

After the fire was extinguished, this is what was left: