A downtown San Antonio nightclub fire that left the building soaked but nobody hurt has now landed a former employee in handcuffs on an arson charge. Police charged 33-year-old Douglas Cavender on March 24, 2026, in connection with a blaze investigators say started inside the venue on October 27, 2025. The arrest caps a months-long inquiry that officials say leaned heavily on scene forensics and surveillance video.
Fire crews find sprinklers doing the heavy lifting
Firefighters were dispatched just after 8 p.m. on October 27 after an alarm sounded. Crews followed sprinkler water through the building to a smoldering fire on a fourth-floor countertop. Investigators say combustible materials, including what appeared to be a sleeping bag or comforter placed over disposable sterno cans, and a butane torch were involved. By the time crews got there, the building’s sprinkler system had largely knocked down the flames. No injuries were reported, and authorities concluded the blaze was intentionally set, as reported by WOAI.
Video trail, fingerprints and a torched control knob
Security camera footage showed a man identified in the arrest report as Cavender moving up and down the stairwell leading to the club shortly before the blaze, and the video also showed him carrying bottles of liquor from the business. Several of those bottles were later recovered near doors where fingerprints taken at the scene matched Cavender, investigators say. Officials also recovered a butane torch “with its control knob melted in the “on” position,” a detail the arrest report flags as evidence supporting intentional ignition, as reported by WOAI.
What the arson charge can mean under Texas law
Arson is addressed under the Texas Penal Code and can carry heavy penalties depending on the facts of the case. Under Texas law (Texas Penal Code §28.02), intentionally setting a fire that damages property is often charged as a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. The offense can be upgraded if someone suffers serious injury or if an inhabited structure is targeted. See Texas Penal Code §28.02 for statutory details.
Prosecution, motive questions and what comes next
Cavender is accused in court filings of returning to the building after having been fired months earlier, a fact investigators included in the arrest report. Prosecutors in Bexar County will determine formal filings and any enhancements as the case moves through the courts. Officials did not immediately provide bond information or upcoming court dates in initial reporting. The nightclub’s operators had not issued a public statement about the arrest at the time of the report…