AC unit possible cause of fire, SAFD says

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SAN ANTONIO — A vacant home's air conditioning unit may have caused a fire early Tuesday morning, officials say.

It happened around 2:18 a.m. on the 800 block of Fresno Street just north of downtown.

A Battalion Chief at the scene said crews were able extinguish the flames quickly. No one was injured. Fire investigators believe an AC unit near the home may have sparked the blaze.

The property owner told KENS 5 the house is vacant. The owner said people have been breaking into it nearly every night. It’s unclear if people experiencing homelessness tried to turn the AC on, or if the fire started without anyone around.

An HVAC expert says it’s still a good reminder to take care of the equipment that keeps you cool during the summer.

“For a system to catch on fire, multiple things have to be at play,” said Jeremy Cox, the director of engineering at Jon Wayne Service Company.

Most of the AC fires he's seen have been caused by loose or damaged wires.

“Having someone come out and check on those things each and every year – just to make sure everything is safe – will more than keep you in good shape,” Cox said.

He recommends an annual Spring inspection.

You can also reduce the stress on your unit by adjusting the temperature incrementally.

“It’s much easier for an air conditioner to try to maintain the temperature inside the home than try to cool it down quickly," explained Cox. "When we get into the triple digits, keeping the house down at 70 is probably going to be overworking the system.”

Jon Wayne Service Company has launched a smart home system that allows people to monitor their home temperature, smoke and CO detectors from their phone.

“It’s hard to get by on a Texas summer without air conditioning," said Cox. "If anything does look off, sound funny, it never hurts to call a professional out.”

The property owner said he received a permit to demolish the home that caught fire overnight. His plan is to expand the neighboring business complex.

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