Domain apartment fire: Nearly 30 units damaged, several residents displaced

Domain apartment fire leaves several displaced

The Austin Fire Department worked all Tuesday afternoon to put out a fire at an apartment complex at the Domain.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Fire Department worked all Tuesday afternoon to put out a fire at an apartment complex at the Domain.

Over two dozen apartments received damage and several residents were displaced.

The backstory:

According to AFD, the fire was at the Residences At The Domain, 11600 Century Oaks Terrace.

The initial call came in around 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, as a smoke report from a security guard. The call was then upgraded to a structure fire when smoke was found around the Louis Vuitton store below. 

Around 1:30 p.m., that fire was then upgraded to a second alarm and around 2:45 p.m. there was a third alarm response.

The fire was found in wall and floor space between the first and second floor apartments.

"Initially, we thought we had the fire under control, and then we were dealing with sprinkler water flow problems because the fire burned through some sprinkler system lines. In the process of trying to control the water flow, we found an additional fire in the attic space of a third floor apartment," said AFD Chief Wayne Parrish. 

These types of fires are often difficult to fight because they run in multiple directions, AFD assistant chief Thayer Smith said.

Crews saw fire was above them, below them, and to the side of them on the second and third floors. 

"That's why it was so manpower intensive to get enough crews to the scene, to evacuate the stores, evacuate the apartments and then make access to the fire and keep finding it as it was running away from them in those spaces. It is very dangerous to have fire below you and above you and on the sides of you. That you have to open up to find it," said Assistant Chief Thayer Smith. 

One firefighter had a hand injury during the fire but is OK. 

FULL: AFD gives update on apt. fire at the Domain

The Austin Fire Department gave an update about an apartment fire at the Domain.

AFD said 28 apartments and multiple businesses were affected by the fire. Sixteen residents contacted the Red Cross with six of them directly affected by the fire damage. 

There are six businesses underneath the apartment, including Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, and more. There was water damage to Louis Vuitton and Lululemon as a result of the fire. 

"We went in early and started covering some of the items in the stores during our salvage work. So I haven't seen how much water damage, but I think as you can see behind me with the water pouring out, behind me the sprinklers also went off. So the water is going to be pretty substantial," said Assistant Chief Smith. 

The fire damage in total is estimated at $4.5 million.

The cause of the fire was ruled accidental. There was an electrical short in the wall.