SAN ANTONIO --
A 2-alarm fire ripped through a Days Inn under construction near Loop 410 and Marbach Road early Tuesday morning.
According to San Antonio Chief Charles Hood, firefighters arrived to find the structure engulfed in flames. Hood said that his men entered the building and began aggressively fighting the fire, but were pushed back by the equally aggressive flames, and retreated to defensive positions.
Four ladder trucks dousing the flames from above eventually knocked the fire down, but not before the hotel was gutted.
Hood said firefighters' efforts were hampered by high winds.
"We're very lucky we didn't have a lot of other exposures close to this fire, because we could have ended up burning a lot more," Hood said.
Jack Paddie, who lives directly behind the hotel, woke up to the sound of fire trucks, and looked out his window to see the sky glowing orange.
"It was a big blaze, the wind blowing smoke everywhere," Paddie said. "I was really concerned because with the wind blowing and everything, I thought it might set my house on fire, and of course, all the neighbors around here."
Hood said that no nearby homes or structures sustained damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
No injuries were reported.
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