Fire Destroys Home on Allen Street

SAN ANGELO, TX - Shortly before 11:30 a.m., San Angelo Firefighters dispatched to the 200 block of Allen Street for the report of a structure fire.

At this time, firefighters are in full attack mode. When LIVE! arrived on scene, flames were showing; however, now it's just heavy smoke. 

The fire appears to be in the roof/attic area, which is where firefighters are focusing their efforts. Engine 6, Ladder 1, Engine 4, Fire Rescue and one ambulance are on scene.

We will provide updates when available.

Update @ 11:52 a.m.

Firefighters broke through the roof of the structure at 223 Allen Street, and flames are showing. Loud pops can be heard through the neighborhood, which is a result of weapon ammunition.

Update @ 12:20 p.m.

Currently, SAFD firefighters are in overhaul on Allen Street. They have the flames out, but smoke is overpowering the area. Please avoid that location while firefighters continue to clear the area.

Update @ 12:40 p.m.

Fire Marshal Ross Coleman said, at about 11:16 a.m. this morning, SAFD received a call for a structure fire on Allen Street. 

He said, "Approximately 24 personnel made the scene; that includes several of our fire trucks, EMS, fire chiefs, as well as Fire Marshal's Office. We've been on this fire now about an hour."

Coleman noted there is still a lot of smoke consuming the structure.

"It's an older home with older construction, and some insulation, so it just keeps smoking up," he continued.

It did take some time for firefighters to get the flames under control. Coleman confirmed that no one was inside the home during the fire, so there were no injuries.

"We do have some collapse that's happened in the center of the home," Coleman stated. "And we're working to make sure that we can handle the rest of this safely. That's what's happening at this point in time."

All personnel are still on scene, and it will take some time to clear it. Coleman said firefighters contained the flames, and will stay on scene until they're sure there are no threats of the fire rekindling. 

Based on the level of smoke, fire remains in the area, which firefighters are attacking. 

The cause of the fire is still uncertain, and investigators will not go into the home to begin their investigation until it is safe to do so. 

With the collapse in the center, and the threat of collapse pending on the outskirts, Coleman and his team may not be able to get in to do an investigation on the inside of the structure.

"That's going to be a safety decision we have to make when this fire is completely and totally out," Coleman noted.

In the past few days, there have been a number of calls to dispatch for possible structure fires. Coleman said every winter, when San Angelo "hits the cold weather," residents use things they normally don't use, particularly heating devices. Space heaters and other devices have safety tips on them, and it's important for people to follow manufacture recommendations.

"We don't always know. We pull the heaters out of the box. We throw the box and the instructions away, and then we seem to have an issue of putting [the heaters] wherever we want," Coleman explained.

Four weeks ago, a space heater related fire took out a home, Coleman said.

"I don't know what caused this one. I don't know if it was a space heater, or anything like that, but you need to read manufacturers' recommendations," he said.

Coleman added that people might also want to have a licensed HBAC technician and plumbers come out to check out their house and gas, and also a licensed electrition come check out their utilities before they start turning things on that have been dormant for some time.

"We do see this a lot," he said. "You need to exercise caution. You need to use a little common sense, and make sure you're reading instructions. If you don't know, call us and ask questions, and we'll give you the guidance."

At the time of the call, Coleman mentioned several firefighter staff were in training, so this was a one-alarm fire call, but a lot of staff made their way to the fire. No firefighters were hurt while battling the blaze, but there was a firearm in the house with ammunition, and they heard what sounded like fireworks.

"We'll try to look more into that if we're able to get to the inside," he said.

The owner of the home and renters were notified of the fire, and Coleman said, "They're quite upset right now, but they were not in the house. Naturally, they're upset."

The house is a total loss, Coleman concluded.