AUSTIN, Texas -- Austin firefighters early Thursday morning battled a massive blaze at an under-construction condominium complex in the south part of the city.
- Under-construction South Austin condo complex burned Thursday morning
- Fire spread to neighboring buildings, making them uninhabitable
- Prompted evacuations and caused power outages
- Largest blaze Austin Fire has battled in years
- Fire knocked down but hotspots remain
- Cause of fire remains under investigation
- AFD estimates damage at $2 million
The fire was reported after 3 a.m. at 4004 Banister Ln., just north of U.S. 290 and west of Interstate 35.
As of 7:45 a.m., the fire was knocked down but firefighters were still attending to hotspots.
While the blaze occurred at a condominium that is under construction, numerous nearby apartment residents were evacuated due to proximity. The Red Cross is at the scene, assisting the displaced. In all, 33 people were displaced due to the fire.
Austin-Travis County EMS after noon Thursday reported a firefighter was transported to a hospital for treatment. That firefighter was said to have been stabilized.
In addition, Austin Energy reported roughly 1,000 customers are without power due to the fire. The blaze damaged several utility poles. The utility is working to isolate the circuit in order to restore power to some customers.
At one point, smoke was visible for several miles. Fire investigators have not identified what caused the blaze.
Austin-Travis County EMS Thursday morning reported one person refused treatment at the scene of the fire and that another person, a woman, was taken to South Austin Medical Center with minor injuries related to evacuation. The good news is Austin Fire about 9 a.m. reported every resident has been accounted for and is safe.
According to a spokesperson for Austin Fire, the structure that burned was a three-story, wood-framed building. It is completely destroyed. In addition, the fire damaged neighboring buildings and several vehicles were burned.
The spokesperson said two occupied apartment buildings located nearby are destroyed. He said this is the largest fire the department has battled in years and at this point, while the cause of the fire is not known, it is not believed homeless campers started the fire. AFD estimates the fire damaged $2 million worth or property.
Banister Lane will be closed to traffic near the scene of the blaze for most of the day. Austin ISD police said that Galindo Elementary School, which is located nearby, has power and will operate on a normal schedule Thursday.
Stay with Spectrum News for updates.
