Two Houses Damaged in Wednesday Night Fire

The San Angelo Fire Department fought two house fires late Wednesday night in the 1500 block of N. Garfield St. The houses were adjacent to one another.

The carport at one of the houses was fully engulfed and appears to be destroyed. Smoke could also be seen rising out of the attic above the living areas.

From observation at the scene, and from radio chatter, the house adjacent to the carport caught fire as a result of the carport fire. But that house seems to have only minor damage.

Two cats were rescued from one of the houses. Firemen were seen carrying them out.

The 9-1-1 call happened at 10:43 p.m.

This is a breaking story and we will update it when more information is available.

Update 11:45 p.m.

The house that sustained the least damage is on right at 1505 N. Garfield St. It was occupied by a middle-aged man who lived there with three cats and one dog. His home received minor damage, however the fire may have gotten into the attic. SAFD had to take part of the roof of that house to make sure the attic was clear.

Firefighters rescued two of the three cats and the man’s dog. The occupant said that his Siamese cat is still missing.

Next door the carport was destroyed. According to a neighbor, a family lives there and were seen pulling up and into the driveway just as the flames became visible and quickly grew all around.

Ladder 1, Engines 5 and 7, Fire Rescue, and SAPD are at the scene.

Update 12 a.m.

Battalion Chief Jerry Hunt said that when firefighters arrived, the carport was completely engulfed in flames and was beginning to spread to the house next door. The first truck started procedures to protect the “exposure” of the adjacent house while the next engine attacked the carport fire. A third engine finished the job. The rest of the quick response was knocking out small pockets of potential flames and hot spots.

The man with the missing cat said that he was watching a baseball game (“Go Rangers! He said) when he heard a loud bang outside. Leaving the game, he said that he went outside, observed the fire, and grabbed a garden hose to do what he could to keep the fire from spreading. The fire was too far along for this to have much effect, he said.