‘One of Our Worst Days': San Antonio Firefighter Dies Battling Strip Mall Fire

A fireman died while battling a strip mall fire that injured two other firefighters in San Antonio Thursday night.San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told the San Antonio Express-News the firefighters fought the four-alarm blaze heroically."Every day we run about 800-plus calls and we take care of people most of the days of their lives," he said. "Unfortunately, we had one of our worst days." The Express-News reports Scott Deem, who had been with the San Antonio Fire Department for six years, was part of more than 60 fire crews that were sent to the strip mall about 9 p.m. The firefighters went into a gym to do search and rescue, but had to evacuate as conditions changed inside the building.Two firefighters were missing at first but made it out, the fire department's chief told the Express-News. They were taken to hospitals for treatment. One was in serious condition.Hood told reporters that it was a "very rough decision" to leave a firefighter behind but the department could have risked losing between 15 and 20 firefighters if it didn't shift gears and "go defensive."The San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters Association released a statement on Facebook, asking the public for prayers."We also ask that you pray for our other brothers also injured in this blaze and that they heal quickly," he said.  Continue reading...