A series of suspicious fires in southeast Austin over the weekend has triggered an investigation by the Austin Fire Department (AFD), with damages from one blaze alone reaching an estimated $400,000. Officials described the series of events as "suspicious" and "incendiary," suggesting a deliberate effort to set the fires.
The AFD reported to KXAN that four fires near the 5400 block of Jimmy Clay Drive were ruled to be deliberately set. The string of incidents began at the Jimmy Clay Golf Course, where a shed containing four lawnmowers was engulfed in flames, resulting in significant damage.
2nd working fire this evening in the Jimmy Clay Golf complex will also be ruled incendiary. Fire now under control. At the same time additional fire crews also responded to apartment complex next door for mattress and trash fire impinging on garage. pic.twitter.com/5Qipp1yhHt
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) December 31, 2023
According to CBS Austin, the first incident was reported on Saturday at 7:12 p.m., followed by another fire at the golf course reported at 1:18 a.m. on Sunday. During efforts to extinguish the second blaze, additional firefighters were dispatched to address a nearby apartment complex fire where a mattress and trash near a garage were set ablaze.
As crews battled the blaze, the situation escalated when they were called to swiftly respond to additional fires, reflecting the severity and urgency of these incidents. "This is the 4th suspicious fire in the immediate area," the AFD said in a statement. Multiple investigators converged on the scene, tirelessly working to uncover adequate leads, but information about a suspect remained elusive at the time of reporting. The authorities have not yet publicly identified any potential suspects or motives linked to these fires, with the investigation into the deliberate acts of arson ongoing.
