A former store and restaurant in San Antonio, Texas named Rachel’s Country Store had been prone to several mysterious fires over the years. More than 3 fires occurred at the former Rachel’s Country Store in the timespan of 20 years. There have been at least 5 fires that occurred at this business. For some strange reason this business seems to get caught on fire.
Here are some examples of fires that mysteriously happened at Rachel’s Country Store. These are the mysterious fires that occurred.
One example of a fire incident took place on the date of 04/25/2003 when a fire occurred inside of a small garden and a zoo outside of Rachel’s Country Store as reported by OSHA. An employee who was a volunteer offered to clean a buffalo pen and was spreading pine shavings in the pen when he was fatally gored and trampled to death by the buffalo. It appeared that the buffalo became agitated for some reason and attacked the man. (Ref: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=200602399)
Benjamin Hernandez was the man who was killed by a 2,500-pound buffalo on that very Friday. He had worked off and on as a frequent volunteer for eight years at the zoo, operated by Rachel's Country Corner. Employees said the construction worker had a particular affection for "Buffy," whose fate remained in limbo late Friday. Hernandez was cleaning the pen and spreading pine shavings in it about. (Ref: San Antonio Express-News - April 26, 2003, Buffalo tramples man to death Victim was cleaning the animal's pen.)
Rachel’s Country Store did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to.
The hazards of being attacked by a buffalo in that the design of the buffalo pen did not include a location or method where the buffalo could be isolated from employees who may have to enter the pen for cleaning or other purposes. On a weekly basis, employees had to enter the pen within six months prior to a fatal accident occurring on or about 4/28/2003, when a buffalo gored and trampled a volunteer worker in the pen, causing fatal injuries. Among other methods of abatement, useful and feasible, one method to protect employees would be to provide a stall, wall, or barrier, or other means to prevent employees from being struck by, or gored by the buffalo while working inside the pen. (Ref: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=306062449)
OSHA gave and charged Rachel’s Country Store a $1,500 dollar penalty for the fatality due to the serious nature of the fire on the date of May 12, 2003. The degree was determined to be a serious fatality. Rachel’s Country Store violated Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. (Ref: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.violation_detail?id=306062449&citation_id=01001)
The case was reportedly closed on the date of June 11, 2003 according to data from Clustr Maps. No other additional charges were filed after the inspection and investigation. The fine was paid off. (Ref: https://clustrmaps.com/amp/a/3ekc54/)
Most of the animals and wildlife were removed from the closed zoo as a result by October 5, 2003. Yet the zoo was closed a month earlier since the owner was facing health problems. The news was reported in newspapers across the state of Texas in cites such as Amarillo, Midland, El Paso, and Victoria. (Ref: https://www.myplainview.com/news/amp/Most-wildlife-have-been-moved-from-closed-zoo-8874124.php)
A 2 alarm fire broke out in the store front of Rachel’s Country Corner Store at 2 am sometime in 2007. Luckily the firefighters arrived in time to extinguish the fire. Nobody knew if this fire was caused intentionally by a person or was a natural fire.
Another example of a mysterious fire incident is in 2016 when a 3 alarm fire broke out in Rachel’s Country Store at night. The exact cause for this fire was unknown. Nobody knew if this fire was caused intentionally by a person or was a wildfire.
The most recent of these fire incident occurred on the date of 01/23/2018. 2 firefighters from Fire Station #119 were dispatched Rachel’s Country Store at the location of 8791 Old Pearsall Road in San Antonio, Texas to give aid to extinguish the fire. Luckily the building was saved and is still standing today. (Ref: https://www.tdi.texas.gov/fire/documents/fmtxunderinv18.pdf)
The exact cause for this fire was unknown. No further investigations were held after finding no cause of the fire. The fire marshal not find the exact cause for this fire. No charges were filed against the business owners and tenants.
So far there have been no other known incidents of mysterious fires at this location. Owner Rachel C Snider sold her property to a couple on a deed in 2016 and Rachel’s Country Store closed in 2017 after she died. Today the building lays abandoned in shambles.
Rachel’s Country Story is located at 8791 Old Pearsall Road, San Antonio, Texas, US 78252.
*Rachel’s Country Store is also known as Rachel’s County Store and Rachel’s Country Corner Store to locals in that area.
*This store had been in operation since 1957 and closed in 2017.
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