Premont City Employees Rush Into Burning House, Save Homeowner

Three Premont city employees - Rudy Balboa, Angel Silguero and Aron Silguero - rushed to a house fire on the 400 block of Southeast Third Street on Feb. 17, 2026, woke a sleeping homeowner and used an outside garden hose to stop flames from spreading until further help arrived. The workers were in the area of South Donald Street when they noticed smoke and went directly to the residence, officials said.

According to the account provided by the Premont Police Department and carried by local outlets, the trio began pounding on doors and windows to alert the occupant. The homeowner, asleep at the time, woke, unlocked the door and escaped through heavy smoke and flames that were coming from the kitchen area. After confirming the homeowner had exited, the employees notified dispatchers as they moved to secure utilities at the house.

Police statements and media reports say the workers shut off the home’s electrical breaker and its gas line before entering the residence. Using a garden hose connected to an outside spigot, the three employees applied water to growing flames and prevented the fire from spreading further, containment that local reporting says limited damage until additional responders arrived.

Premont Police Department publicly thanked the employees on its Facebook page, writing, “We are very proud of these gentlemen!! Great work!!” Media summaries from KIII and South Texas Community News repeated police credit that the men’s quick actions likely saved the homeowner’s life and prevented the residence from being completely destroyed. Local commenters echoed that sentiment on KIII’s social post, with reactions ranging from “Hero’s for sure!” to calls for rewards; one commenter, Eli Lugo, wrote, “Pay raise should be involved for their bravery ...great deed for them ...they heros.”

The incident prompted significant local attention online. KIII’s Facebook post displayed 562 reactions, 67 comments and 24 shares at the time it was captured, and a short KIII video posted Feb. 18, 2026 showed 106 views and 4 likes in its metadata. KIII’s coverage credited the Premont Police Department for the information and imagery.

Key facts remain unreported by city officials and in the initial news accounts. The exact clock time of the early-morning incident, the identity and condition of the homeowner beyond being “safe,” the arrival time and role of the fire department or other emergency responders, the full extent of property damage and the cause of the fire have not been released. The city also has not announced whether it will issue formal commendations or other recognition for Balboa, Angel Silguero and Aron Silguero.

The police-originated narrative attributes the rescue and containment to the quick thinking of the three city workers; residents and commenters have urged official recognition. City records, dispatch logs and any forthcoming statements from Premont officials will be needed to confirm response times, damage assessments and any steps the city takes to acknowledge or formalize protocols after the Feb. 17 incident.