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A wildfire in far south Bexar County, named the Silver Mountain fire by the Texas A&M Forest Service, has burned 300 acres and is 90% contained.
County officials said residents were evacuated Tuesday night but were being partially allowed to return to their homes by early Wednesday morning.
The Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office determined that the fire was accidental and originated from a controlled burn on private property that became unmanageable.
The Bexar County Office of Emergency Management (BCOEM) continued to assess the impacted area on Wednesday afternoon.
Ralph Rodriguez, the Bexar County Emergency Services District 2 fire chief, said crews will remain until the fire is completely out: “We have a lot of trees that are that are smoldering up high that we're trying to bring down, and we're going to continue to monitor the fire even throughout the evening.”
Bexar County Fire Marshal Chris Lopez told reporters on Wednesday that the only structure lost to the fire belonged to the property owner, who was issued a warning but will not face any charges.
Lopez says it's legal for property owners to burn brush and trash on their property in the county, but he plans to recommend a burn ban in a special county commissioner session on Tuesday.
Most residents near the Silver Mountain Fire were allowed to return to their homes on Wednesday.
An emergency shelter at Elmendorf City Hall opened on Wednesday morning to support affected residents.
