Firefighter Dies in San Antonio Strip Mall Blaze

May 19--A San Antonio firefighter was killed and two others injured while battling a fire Thursday night at a strip mall on the city's northwest side.

KENS reports that 31-year-old Scott Deem, a six-year veteran of the department, was killed in the blaze.

Deem was a father of two and his widow is pregnant with the couple's third child, the fire department announced Friday.

"This is very difficult because the fire was so intense," San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. "We started having structural collapses, and we had to go defensive. (It was a) very rough decision to leave a firefighter behind. That's not what we do, but we had the risk of losing an additional 15 to 20 firefighters if we did not go defensive on this fire.

• Watch Video

Hood said two other firefighters were transported to area hospitals -- one a priority one transport and the other a priority two. Their conditions were not released by the hospitals, but Hood said both were expected to be OK.

The fire broke out at the Ingram Park shopping center at about 9 p.m. and more than 60 fire units responded to the blaze, which quickly damaged multiple units within the shopping center.

Hood said firefighters had entered the structure to perform search and rescue because there was concern there could be people inside. However, conditions inside rapidly changed and may have prevented Deem from escaping.

"We had firefighters who fought fire desperately tonight to try to save their friend's life," he said.

Firefighters formed two columns and saluted as an ambulance departed the scene just after midnight.

Fighting back tears, the chief asked San Antonio to lift up the SAFD community.

"I'd like to ask the citizens of San Antonio to give us your prayers tonight, because we're hurting," Hood said. "But we're gonna continue to do the good job we always do."

The Texas House marked Deem's death with a moment of silence Friday, according to the San Antonio Express-News.