AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several people were displaced after a fire at an apartment building in north Austin Monday afternoon, according to the Austin Fire Department. At least one firefighter got a “minor injury.”
The fire took place at 8800 North Interstate 35, which is south of East Rundberg Lane and the address for Starburst Apartments. The first 911 calls came in at 4:28 p.m.
AFD elevated it to a second-alarm fire, and the department reported flames on the balcony had spread into the attic.
No residents were injured, and the one firefighter who was hurt was evaluated by Austin-Travis County EMS, AFD said. They didn’t need to be taken to the hospital.
“Very happy, always happy, those reports of a working smoke detector, it is the cheapest life insurance anyone can buy, and it worked well,” said AFD Assistant Chief Andre de la Reza.
At least eight apartments were damaged either by the fire itself or firefighting efforts. Seven of those apartments were occupied, and those people have been displaced. AFD said it’s working with property managers, who have a plan in place to help residents find a new place to stay.
AFD is still investigating the cause of the fire.