City councilor, county investigator lose all in house fire

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Smoke detector saves family’s lives

Pearsall residents are rallying behind a local family who lost everything in a devastating blaze during the early morning hours of Saturday, February 1.
Fire Chief Placido Aguilar said the department responded to a structure fire shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday and arrived at the address along FM 1581 to find a mobile home fully engulfed in flames.
The occupants, Pearsall Councilwoman Brenda Trevino, her husband, Frio County Investigator Reynaldo Trevino, and their three children were standing outside the home and had visible injuries requiring immediate medical attention.

“They were able to escape the home through windows,” the fire chief said Saturday afternoon. “All the doors to the home were not accessible due to the heat of the fire.”
A preliminary report on the case indicates the fire was accidentally started on the rear porch of the home.
It was during an initial interview with firefighters that emergency first responders learned the home’s smoke detectors alerted the family to the blaze.
“Their son, living in a nearby trailer, heard the couple yelling for help and he was able to break the window and get everyone out safely,” the fire chief said.

Reynaldo Trevino was airlifted to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio to receive treatment for smoke inhalation and remained in the intensive care unit for a day. His son and grandson were transported by ambulance to University Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and second-degree burns.
“We ask everyone to check their smoke detectors and replace the batteries regularly,” Aguilar said. “This needs to be done monthly, weekly, or as a daily chore. Also have an escape plan; you never know when your home could catch fire.”
The Trevinos have lost everything in the fire and has set up a GoFundMe account in an effort to offset the cost of clothing and other essentials.