Burn injury in San Antonio: burn care, fire reports and who pays
For a major burn, call 911. In the Bexar County area, ambulances normally take major burns to the Army Burn Center, the only American Burn Association-verified burn center in South Texas. The SAFD Arson Bureau investigates fires inside the city. A Texas injury lawsuit is generally due within 2 years.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (35)
Where do burn patients go in San Antonio?
| Place | What to know |
|---|---|
| Army Burn Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston | Only American Burn Association-verified burn center in South Texas, and it treats civilians. Ambulances normally take major burns here in the Bexar County area |
| Your doctor's referral | A doctor can reach a burn surgeon at all hours through the STRAC line at 800-247-6428 |
| University Hospital | Level I trauma and pediatric trauma center |
| University Children's Health | Pediatric burn care that includes pressure garments to reduce scarring |
Pain is a poor guide to how bad a burn is, because the most serious burns may not hurt at all. Burns from chemicals or electricity need 911. So do burns to the face, hands, feet, groin, buttocks or a major joint, which are classed as major.
Who investigates a fire or explosion that burned me in San Antonio?
Inside the city, the SAFD Arson Bureau investigates the cause of fires and explosions, at (210) 207-7678. Outside the city limits, the Bexar County Fire Marshal's Arson and Explosives Division investigates, with 24-hour response.
SAFD fire reports are usually ready within a week. You need the incident date, the address and the incident number if you have it, and requests are not taken by phone or fax. The cause finding can matter a lot, because it points to a faulty appliance, a landlord, an employer or an outside party.
How serious is my burn, and what happens next?
- Partial-thickness burns go through both skin layers and blister.
- Full-thickness burns go into deep skin, look white or blackened, and may be numb.
- Smoke, steam or chemical fumes can burn the airway.
- Watch for pus, fever, more pain or red streaks, which can mean infection.
- Scarring can limit movement, which is called contracture.
Prompt care helps prevent scarring, disability and deformity. Keep photos and every treatment record. They show what the injury looked like at its worst.
Who pays for a burn in San Antonio?
| How you were burned | Who to look at | Local detail |
|---|---|---|
| Power line or CPS Energy equipment | CPS Energy | That agency takes the claim, not the city |
| Apartment fire or electrical fault | The landlord | The city's apartment program covers fire safety and electrical problems, with monthly inspections for registered properties |
| Faulty heater, furnace or equipment | The maker or seller | Faulty heaters, furnaces and industrial equipment are listed causes of burns |
| Hot tap water | The owner or landlord, and maybe the heater maker | Water at 140 degrees can scald in 6 seconds, and at 130 degrees in 30 seconds |
| Your job | Workers' comp, if your employer has it | Not every Texas employer does. OSHA San Antonio is at 8200 W. Interstate 10, Suite 605 |
A work burn that admits a worker to the hospital must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours. In workers' comp, third-degree burns over at least 40 percent of the body with grafting can qualify for lifetime income benefits.
Can a San Antonio burn claim ask for punishment damages?
Sometimes, but the bar is high. Texas requires clear and convincing proof of fraud, malice or gross negligence. The cap is 2 times economic damages plus noneconomic damages up to $750,000. Punitive damages are not excluded from income for tax.
How long do I have to file a burn claim in San Antonio?
Most burn claims go to court within 2 years. Time does not count while the burned person is a minor. For the City of San Antonio, written notice is due within 90 days. Over 50 percent at fault means no recovery.
A hospital lien can attach if you were admitted within 72 hours. If Medicare paid for your burn care, it gets repaid out of a settlement. The Army Burn Center and University Hospital both keep their own records, so ask each one for copies.
Questions
Do burns always scar?
Not always, but scarring can limit movement. Children's burn care can include pressure garments to reduce scarring.
Can a civilian be treated at the Army Burn Center?
Yes. It treats civilians from across Texas, and a doctor can arrange a referral at 800-247-6428.
Do I need to wait for the fire report?
No. Get care first. SAFD fire reports are usually ready within a week.
Who pays for a burn at a rental?
It depends on the cause, such as electrical or fire safety faults, or a faulty appliance. The landlord or the maker may owe, and the deadline is generally 2 years.
Burn injury in San Antonio? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (35)
- U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, checked 2026-11-09. “In the Bexar County area, ambulances will normally transport patients with major burns to the Army Burn Center.”
- U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, checked 2026-11-09. “the only American Burn Association-verified burn center in South Texas”
- City of San Antonio 311, checked 2026-11-09. “The Arson Bureau is responsible for investigating the cause of fires and explosions within the city limits of San Antonio.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “The burn is caused by chemicals or electricity.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “The most serious burns can be painless.”
- City of San Antonio, Notice of Claim form, checked 2026-11-08. “No, you would need to file a claim with the corresponding entity.”
- U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, checked 2026-11-09. “Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) MEDCOM Communication's Center at 800-247-6428. Your doctor will talk directly with one of our burn surgeons, 24/7.”
- University Health, Trauma Care, checked 2026-11-08. “verified by the American College of Surgeons as both a Level I trauma center and a Level I pediatric trauma center”
- University Health, checked 2026-11-09. “Pressure garments (to reduce scarring)”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Second-degree burns on the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, or over a major joint”
- Bexar County Fire Marshal, checked 2026-11-09. “investigating the origin and cause of fires and explosions”
- San Antonio Fire Department, checked 2026-11-09. “date of the incident - physical address of the location of the incident - incident number (if available)”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Partial-thickness burns (formerly known as second-degree burns) affect both the outer and underlying layer of skin.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Full-thickness burns (formerly known as third-degree burns) affect the deep layers of skin.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “You can also burn your airways if you breathe in smoke, steam, superheated air, or chemical fumes”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Red streaks spreading from the burn”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scarring after traumatic injury or burns”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Major burns need urgent medical care. This can help prevent scarring, disability, and deformity.”
- City of San Antonio, Proactive Apartment Inspections outreach presentation, checked 2026-11-09. “Designated citations = deal with prioritized life safety and basic habitability issues for tenants”
- City of San Antonio news release, March 23, 2023, checked 2026-11-09. “Properties registered will be subject to monthly inspections while in the program.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Faulty space heaters, furnaces, or industrial equipment”
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “Burns will also occur with a six-second exposure to 140 degree water or with a thirty second exposure to 130 degree water.”
- Texas Department of Insurance, Employee resources, checked 2026-11-08. “Not all Texas employers provide workers' compensation insurance, but most do.”
- OSHA, Texas area offices, checked 2026-11-08. “Fountainhead Tower 8200 W. Interstate 10, Suite 605”
- OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “An in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss must be reported within 24 hours.”
- Texas Labor Code § 408.161, checked 2026-11-09. “third degree burns that cover at least 40 percent of the body and require grafting”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.003, checked 2026-11-09. “exemplary damages may be awarded only if the claimant proves by clear and convincing evidence”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.008, checked 2026-11-09. “two times the amount of economic damages; plus (B) an amount equal to any noneconomic damages found by the jury, not to exceed $750,000; or (2) $200,000”
- Internal Revenue Service, checked 2026-11-09. “are excludable from gross income with the exception of punitive damages”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
- San Antonio City Charter, Article XII, Sec. 150 (Municode), checked 2026-11-08. “notice in writing of such death, injury or destruction within ninety days after the injury has been sustained”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- Tex. Prop. Code § 55.002, checked 2026-11-09. “For the lien to attach, the individual must be admitted to a hospital not later than 72 hours after the accident.”
- CMS, checked 2026-11-09. “because it must be repaid to Medicare when a beneficiary receives a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment”