Crime & Safety
Body Found After North Austin House Fire Early Saturday
Firefighters were dispatched to 8309 Loralinda Drive just past midnight early Saturday before finding a body in the charred remnants.
AUSTIN, TX — Firefighters found a body in the aftermath of a North Austin house blaze early Saturday, officials confirmed.
The conflagration occurred at 8309 Loralinda Drive just after midnight on Saturday, fire officials reported via Twitter. Dramatic video posted on video show the extent of the fire with flames emanating from the garage of the home and across the roof.
Less than 20 minutes after posting video of the fire scene, firefighters updated with news of the grim discovery in the charred remains of the single-family home: "Firefighters have located a body inside of the structure," officials wrote. Homicide detectives were dispatched to the scene as a result of the find, fire officials added.
Find out what's happening in North Austin-Pflugervillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
8300 Blk Lora Linda pic.twitter.com/nuyKnrAmK7
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) July 20, 2019
Update. Firefighters have located a body inside of the structure. Fire Investigators and @Austin_Police homicide responding to do investigation. Fire PIO will brief at 8400 Lora Linda at 0100 hrs. Media should approach scene from the north
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) July" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/AustinFire... 20, 2019
8300 Blk Lora Linda pic.twitter.com/gPfevSfBmb
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) July 20, 2019
No further details were made available in the immediate aftermath of the find, but fire officials said more details would be shared with members of the media later Saturday morning. Patch will update when more details are known.
#APD Officers are on the scene of a house fire at the 8300 Blk of Loralinda Dr. AFD is on scene. No further info. #WC6
— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) July 20, 2019
Fire officials subsequently estimated the monetary loss at the structure at $220,000 — a total loss, officials noted.
Find out what's happening in North Austin-Pflugervillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Update 8309 Lora Linda. Fire cause remains under investigation. Damage est at 220K structure (total loss) and 55K contents. Medical Examiner will be contact for identification of the deceased. pic.twitter.com/O1HgAEkmka
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) July 20, 2019
The grim find marks the second time in a span of a week that firefighters have discovered human remains following a local fire. The week was tragically book-ended with fatal conflagrations: Just before 4:30 a.m. on Monday, two bodies were found following a fire at the Woods Apartments located along the 2900 block of Barton Skyway amid the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Nine other residents were displaced as a result of the blaze, with the American Red Cross assisting them in securing alternate lodging.
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The dead subsequently were identified as Kaitlyn Denson, 26, and Joseph Tarin, 30.
Image via Google maps.
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