Fire tears through San Marcos apartment complex, leaving families without a home

A fire ravaged a San Marcos apartment complex, leaving at least 11 people without a home to return to Monday.

The three-alarm fire destroyed 20 years of memories for Tanya Lezama and her son, Luis.

“This is a huge part of my childhood,” Luis Lezama said. “As I was walking by, I said it smelled like memories.”

“I feel very, very sad because everything is gone,” Tanya Lezama said. “Nobody died. That is the important thing.”

The Lezama’s unit at the Cactus Garden Apartments off West San Marcos Boulevard and Tiger Way was one of at least four apartments, firefighters say, were either damaged or destroyed by fire.

Investigators say it started around 1:20 p.m. Monday in the backyard of the apartments. It was possibly fueled by something residents say sparked an explosion.

“There were some propane tanks back there, so I imagine that’s what it was,” Division Chief Fire Marshal Jason Nailon said, adding that firefighters went into their defensive strategy to try and protect the apartments.

Aaron Hernandez’s home was damaged by the flames, but he says that his mom made it out and that his brother was able to save their dog.

But as he anxiously waited to get back into what was once his home, he was resolved to the fact he’d likely lost two of his prized possessions: his Legos and guitars.

“They definitely help me a lot with depression, and it’s sad to see them go, but I’ve learned going through a hard time recently that sometimes letting go is really important,” Hernandez said.

Thankfully, Hernandez won’t have to endure this next chapter of hardship alone. He’ll be able to strum the pain away on one of his guitars, which firefighters were able to salvage.

Firefighters say no one was injured and that a neighboring building suffered some damage. What caused the fire is still under investigation.