Residents of the Iconic Village and Vintage Pads Apartments who stayed there last night and have not checked in with the City are being asked to call the information hotline at 512.754.2291.
All buildings at Iconic Village and building L at Vintage Pads apartments will be closed today with no access to residents. Limited access to Iconic Village Buildings 100 and 700 will be available to residents beginning tomorrow at 2 p.m. An online signup will be available on both the City’s Facebook page and Iconic Village’s Facebook page later today for residents to sign up for a 30-minute time slot. Sign up will be available to five people for each 30-minute time slot.
Fire operations are still underway, and firefighters are searching the buildings as heat and smoke allow. Three of the people who were injured in the fire have been released from Central Texas Medical Center.
Thus far, water quality samples have passed state standards for contaminates, but the river remains closed in the City limits as a precaution due to debris washing down from the firefighting operations. The river will reopen today at 5 p.m. Staff will continue to coordinate with TCEQ and expects no environmental impact to the river from today’s events.
Injuries
One person suffered critical injuries in this morning’s apartment fire and was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center for treatment. Officials have confirmed that six others suffered non life-threatening injuries with two of these currently receiving treatment in the Seton Medical Center Hays trauma unit, and five people remain unaccounted for.
Information hotline
An information hotline has been established for residents and people seeking information on their loved ones who were displaced by the fire at Iconic Village Apartments and Vintage Pads Apartments at 512.754.2291.
Shelter, assistance and donations
The San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins, has been established as a shelter for people displaced by the fire at Iconic Village Apartments and Vintage Pads Apartments. Central Texas Medical Center is providing meals, and the Red Cross is on site.
A family assistance center has been established for people affected by the fire at Westover Baptist Church, 1310 Advance Street.
Donations may be made to the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team at www.br3t.org, clicking “Donate,” and entering the word “Iconic” in the comments.
The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter is accepting pets of residents that have been displaced by the fires for temporary safekeeping.
Fire status
Officials estimate that approximately 200 residents have been affected by the fire.
The fire is contained, but firefighting operations are ongoing. Once they are complete, the City of San Marcos Fire Marshal’s office will conduct the investigation in conjunction with the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
The fire started just before 4:30 a.m. at Iconic Village Apartments at 222 Ramsay St., engulfing building 500 and moving to building 300. The fire has also damaged one building at Vintage Pads Apartments, located at 1000 N LBJ Drive.
Six people were transported to area hospitals, one in critical condition.
City officials are advising residents to avoid the area of LBJ, Ramsay and Clark Streets. LBJ is blocked between Younger and Walnut Streets, as are the intersections of E. Bluebonnet and Mandalay; W. Bluebonnet and Walnut; and Clark and Walnut.
Surrounding jurisdictions including Kyle, Buda, New Braunfels, South Hays, Seguin and Canyon Lake assisted in fire operations.
River closed
Due to runoff from the firefighting efforts into the San Marcos River, the San Marcos River will be closed to swimming and tubing within the City limits until 5 p.m.