An early morning calamity was narrowly averted today, as the Austin Fire Department responded to reports of a blaze at an apartment building under construction on East Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard. According to FOX 7 Austin, the incident, which occurred around 10:30 a.m., was likely sparked by a cut electrical wire.
Initial observations by fire crews indicated that smoke was permeating from the second floor of the structure. A mishap, reportedly, during the building's construction work led to the electrical mishap, with workers revealing they had severed an electrical wire. AFD had to meticulously remove sheetrock to locate and extinguish the fire source.
Efforts by firefighters proved successful, and by 11 a.m., the fire had been contained. The diligent work of the department ensured the safety of the construction workers and prevented what could have been extensive damage to the structure.
Details gleaned from a tweet by the Austin Fire Info outlined the course of action taken by AFD, as they pulled sheetrock within the building to prevent, the fire from spreading beyond the primary site of ignition. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported in the wake of this incident.
AFD on scene of a reported structure fire in the 2800 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Fire crews reporting appt building under construction with smoke on the 2nd floor. Construction workers on scene reporting to have cut through electrical wire. pic.twitter.com/j6D8DGPQcl
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) September 19, 2024
