Two North Austin Apartment Fires Leave 27 People Displaced

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — Two apartment fires on Sunday displaced 27 people and sent one to the hospital with possible smoke inhalation, officials said.

The first fire occurred just after 6 a.m. at the Argosy at Crestview Apartments at 1003 Justin Lane in North Austin. Fire officials said via Twitter that the fire engulfed two floors of the apartment building, and was extinguished in about 15 minutes.

Six residents were displaced as a result of the blaze, and one was taken to the hospital for treatment as a result of possible smoke inhalation. The American Red Cross assisted the displaced residents secure temporary housing.

Fire investigators deemed the cause of the fire as accidental, caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Two apartments were heavily damaged by fire and water from the firefighters' hoses, while seven apartments in total sustained damage. Damages were estimated at $300,000 — $200,000 in structural damage and another $100,000 for the contents withing the building — according to fire officials.

Some three hours later, Austin firefighters were called to 8519 Cahill Dr. for another rental unit fire, this one at the Polo Club Apartments. There, firefighters arrived to find a second-story apartment on fire.

Like the first incident, the cause of the conflagration also was blamed on improperly discarded smoking material. The result of such carelessness left 21 people displaced and fire damage estimated at $375,000 — $300,000 in structure damage and another $75,000 for its contents.

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