by SEAN KIMMONS
Kyle postman Doug Garcia was running his letter carrier route in the Silverado subdivision on Feb. 16 when he heard a loud noise, followed by a boom that he thought was a transformer blowing.
The problem sent sparks flying into dry grass, starting a fire between two homes near the corner of Star of Texas and Remington drives. Garcia said he ran toward the fire, told a neighbor to call the fire department and asked for a garden hose, which he hooked up to a nearby home to douse the flames.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” the 38-year-old Kyle resident said.
Garcia was joined by a volunteer fireman before a fire truck rolled up minutes later.
Garcia, who has worked as a letter carrier for about a year and a half and also coaches baseball at the Regents School of Austin, says that all he tried to do was contain the grass fire that was inches away from both homes.
“I hope someone will do that for me if a fire started near my home,” he said.
Officials believe the fire was caused by electric relays being tripped due to an arching electrical line, deputy fire chief Rick Beaman said. No damage was reported to the homes.
