Kyle resident Marlo Treybig knew something was wrong when a fire truck breezed by her home on Indigo Cove Friday.
It wasn’t until she walked to her front door and saw her neighbor’s shed and fence ablaze that she knew she had to take action.
Sprinting across the street, Treybig slammed open her neighbors’ door and warned them of the impending inferno.
Treybig’s heroic efforts helped save the lives of her neighbors from a fire that destroyed property valued at more than $400,000. But for Treybig, who herself has been the victim of a devastating house fire, ensuring the safety of her neighbors was top priority. Kyle Taylor, Kyle Fire Department chief, said it took about seven hours for fire crews from eight fire departments to extinguish the blaze, which caused roughly $430,000 in damages. No one was injured in the fire.
“There were a lot of pops and then there was a big one ... From there it jumped to the fence and then the yard, then to the house.” Stepanie McDonald
Crews assisting in battling the blaze included the Buda, San Marcos, Chisolm Trail, Wimberley fire departments and the North Hays County Fire Rescue. Also helping was Hays County Combined Emergency Response team.
The first call regarding the fire, located in the 100 block of Indigo Cove, was made for a fire in a shed. Prior to the call, Taylor said he noticed smoke billowing from the Hometown Kyle subdivision while driving along Old Stagecoach Road.
Taylor said he arrived at the scene when the initial call to dispatch came in from nearby neighbors.
Sarah Hempel, a teacher at Fuentes Elementary who lives near Indigo Cove, was one of the first neighbors to call 911 regarding the fire. Hempel said she was returning from school when she saw a column of “huge, black smoke” near Hometown Kyle.
“I thought it was the field behind us on Stagecoach (Road),” Hempel said. “As I got closer, I realized it was right behind our backyard.”
Stepanie McDonald, who lives behind the affected home, said she saw the fire out of a window in her home. After calling 911, McDonald attempted to water her grass, in order to avoid any potential flames from spreading.
“There were a lot of pops and then there was a big one,” McDonald said. “From there it jumped to the fence and then the yard, then to the house.”
For Treybig, the fire brought back memories of the time her home burned down three days before her senior year in high school. She understood the fear and the devastation from such an event.
“It’s not just the possessions, but your life is completely upended,” Treybig said.
But with the devastation comes hope, as many area residents are starting the process of helping the homeowners.
Wayfinders Church, which the family attended, has begun an online donation drive for the family. Meanwhile, businesses such as Sustainacycle and Lone Star Delights are offering a percentage of proceeds to the family as well.
Treybig said surrounding neighbors are also planning to come together to bring the family what they need, including items for their children, who will begin school next week.
“I know what it’s like to lose everything,” Treybig said. “We’re going to get something going on the neighborhood website.”
