UPDATE – 1:37 p.m July 22
Authorities have recovered three bodies from the scene of Friday's fire that damaged the Iconic Village and Vintage Pads apartments, according to a city of San Marcos press release.
Justice of the Peace Maggie H. Moreno declared the victims deceased at the scene, according to the release. The bodies have been transported to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy and identification.
Fire investigators will continue search and recovery efforts throughout the day. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) National Response Team is leading the investigation in conjunction with the State Fire Marshal's Office and the city of San Marcos Fire Marshal.
UPDATE – 8:12 p.m.
Officials continue to search for five people who remain unaccounted for following Friday's fire at the Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Authorities have notified families of the ongoing search.
Those who remain unaccounted for are:
James Miranda
Haley Frizzell
Belinda Moats
David Ortiz
Dru Estes
Anyone with information the whereabouts of these individuals should call 512.754.2291 as soon as possible.
According to a press release, fire and emergency personnel remain on-scene as the fire continues to smolder. ATF officials will lead the fire investigation starting Saturday morning.
UPDATE – 4:20 p.m.
One person hurt in Friday's fire at the Iconic Village Apartments suffered critical injuries and was transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for treatment, according to a city of San Marcos press release.
Officials confirmed six others suffered non-life threatening injuries, with two of those currently receiving treatment in the Seton Medical Center Hays trauma unit in Kyle. Three of the people injured in the fire have been released from Central Texas Medical Center. According to the release, five people remain unaccounted for.
Residents of the Iconic Village and Vintage Pads Apartments who stayed at those complexes Thursday night and have not checked in with the city are asked to call the information hotline at 512.754.2291.
All buildings at the Iconic Village and building L at the Vintage Pads apartments will be closed Friday with no access to residents.
Limited access to Iconic Village buildings 100 and 700 will be available to residents starting Saturday, July 21 at 2 p.m.
An online sign-up with be available on the city of San Marcos and Iconic Village Facebook pages. Residents can sign up for a 30-minute time slot. Sign up will be available to ten people per 30-minute time slot.
Fire operations remain underway, with firefighters searching the buildings as heat and smoke allow.
Officials plan to reopen the San Marcos River within city limits by 5 p.m. July 20, according to the release. Water quality samples passed state standards for contaminates. City staff will continue to coordinate with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), but does not expect any environmental impacts to the river due to debris washing down from firefighting operations.
EARLIER
Six people were injured and an estimated 200 residents were affected after an early Friday morning fire damaged buildings at two apartment complexes in San Marcos, according to a press release.
As fire operations continue, San Marcos officials have shut down the San Marcos River within city limits due to runoff from firefighting efforts.
According to authorities, the fire started just before 4:30 a.m. Friday at the Iconic Village Apartments, located in the 200 block of Ramsay Street. The fire engulfed one building at the Iconic Village Apartments and moved to a second building; the fire also damaged one building at the Vintage Pads Apartments. Fire crews from New Braunfels and Kyle assisted the San Marcos Fire Department in battling the blaze.
Once fire operations are complete, the city of San Marcos Fire Marshal's office will conduct an investigation in conjunction with the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
No information is available on the status of the six people injured in the fire, according to the release. City officials are advising residents to avoid the area of LBJ, Ramsay and Clark Streets.
The San Marcos Activity Center (SMAC) has been established as a shelter for displaced residents. Central Texas Medical Center is providing meals and the Red Cross is on-site.
An information hotline has been established for residents and people seeking information on their loved ones displaced by the fire at 512.754.2291.
