News Reports

Grandmother and Kids Scramble for Safety from Fire

A woman and her six grandchildren were forced to run to safety Wednesday night when their trailer home caught fire, witnesses said. The fire possibly started from a load of laundry in a dryer, investigators said.

Flames broke out at the home on Diamondback Trial on the southeast side close to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"I saw the dryer and the smoke was coming out," fire victim Paulette Toval said. "I told the kids, ‘Get out. Get out. The house is on fire.'"

"I could hear it crackling," Toval said about the dryer.

Toval ran back inside the house to save her pet bird, Chucky.

"I didn't want him to burn," Toval said of the bird.

Firefighters contained the flames to the laundry room.

"The rest of the trailer is going to have heat and smoke damage," San Antonio Fire Dept. Dist. Chief Don Faseler said. "All their clothing, belongings and everything will have to be either replaced or repaired."

Toval said she was happy no one was hurt.

"Thank God I'm safe and they're safe," Toval said