SAN MARCOS, Texas – A deadly San Marcos apartment fire has been determined to be intentionally set and investigators are looking for the person or persons responsible.
- Victims of deadly fire identified
- Determined fire was intentionally set
- $10,000 reward being offered
Five people died on July 20 in the Iconic Village apartment fire and the cause of the incendiary event has been under investigation ever since.
Branson Fairbrother and his "Wezmer" bandmates Matthew Smith and Adrian Perez were supposed to move out of Iconic Village Apartments the day of the fire.
They’ll never forget the day well when their complex caught fire, killing several people, and displacing hundreds. They say they've been suspicious about what caused it ever since.
"Not one of us thought that this was just an accident," Fairbrother said.
Officials with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Division confirmed Friday the apartment fire was intentionally set.
"We all had our suspicions that it was someone and them actually saying it was a pretty big relief," Smith said.
The roommates recall other incidents involving previous fires at the complex. They have since been interviewed by ATF investigators.
San Marcos Fire Chief Les Stephens told us there’s a lengthy a history of fire incidents at this complex.
"We just want to feel safe. It's been a little bit where we're still kind of shaky," Perez said.
Through this traumatic experience, these bandmates are still looking for the positive that came out of it.
"We kind of value each other more and we're kind of in a better living situation now, all of us, too," Fairbrother said. "There's been a bright side to all of it."
Their band, Wezmer, held several benefit concerts in August to help raise money for the victims of the fire. They say the concerts raised about $500 on top of the donations they had already received.
The ATF is offering that $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. If you have any information, you're asked to call the ATF Tipline, 800-ATF-TIPS, email ATFtips@atf.gov or submit the information anonymously through the ReportIt App.
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