SAN ANTONIO — A west side restaurant is gone and the man who built it 30 years ago died in the fire.
Family and coworkers identified Sergio Salcedo as the 65-year-old man who died after a fire at his restaurant.
Family and firefighters tried to save Salcedo, but the heat was too intense.
One of the restaurant chefs and his wife lived in an addition in the back of the restaurant.
“He [Salcedo] could’ve lived anywhere, but he chose to live here in his Molino. And so, you know, now he’s gone. And I just miss him,” Ernest Palma told KENS 5.
Palma worked more than 10 years as a chef for Sergio Salcedo.
Salcedo had four kids and seven grandchildren—Palma felt like he was part of the family.
“Sergio was like a father figure to me. He helped me out when I was down and out, and so I gave him all my loyalty, and I loved him like a father,” Palma said.
“He was always helpful, always helping people around him you know? So it's unfortunate he didn't make it because he was the type of man that always tried to do things. If you see a fire, he’s going to try and take it out himself,” Palma remembers.
The fire broke out at Sergio’s Molino on Ruiz St. around 2:30 Sunday morning.
Palma told firefighters that Salcedo was still inside when he and his wife were rescued.
“They tried their best to get in, but if you look inside, the roof collapsed and everything”
The San Antonio Fire Department says they tried to go in but heavy heat forced them out in five minutes.
After knocking the fire down, the 65-year-old Salcedo was found unresponsive
Palma and Salcedo’s family cleaning up what was left.
Palma’s workplace and home are both gone, as he mourns the loss of a man who touched many lives.
“[He was] always helping people walk by them. He’d feed them, give them a couple of tacos. The homeless would always stop by and he would always help them, but that’s going to be gone for them,” Palma said.
As Palma figures out what’s next—he wants the community to remember the life of a hard-working man.
“Remember Sergio, remember his goodness and may God rest his soul,” Palma said.
The community plans to hold a vigil for Salcedo tomorrow at 7:00 pm at the restaurant, located at 641 Ruiz St.
The fire department is investigating a cause. Palma is working with the Red Cross to find a place to stay.
The family says they did not have insurance and haven’t made funeral arrangements.