Firefighters Extinguish North Austin House Fire

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — Firefighters extinguished a fire that broke out in an abandoned house on Thursday.

The fire broke out at 5541 McNeil Dr. Firefighters had to fight the fire from a defensive standpoint given the intensity, but were able to extinguish the flames just before 11:30 a.m. Although the home was unoccupied, its proximity across the street from McNeil High School sparked concerns.

Given the school's proximity to the fire, Round Rock ISD put out a statement to assure parents the high school was not affected by the conflagration, as KXAN reported. As an added safety precaution, the news station added, school officials said students will remain indoors for lunch.

Travis County Sheriff's Office officials later said the eastbound lanes of McNeil Drive would be shut down for up to three hours in the fire's aftermath, impacting after-hours school activity and traffic flow: "Deputies still assisting AFD and Fire Marshal at structure fire call this morning advise eastbound lanes of McNeil Dr. could be shut down for 2-3 more hours, affecting pickup at McNeil High School and rush hour," officials wrote on Twitter.

Residents are urged to avoid the area if at all possible. The cause of the fire is unknown, and no injuries were reported.