Used Car Lot Office In North Austin Erupts In Flames

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — A Saturday afternoon vehicle fire at a northwest Austin used car lot has extended to the adjacent business office, fire officials said.

Austin Fire Department crews were dispatched just after 1 p.m. to Austin Direct Auto Sales on North U.S. 183 near Research Boulevard, officials said via Twitter. Firefighters were still battling the blaze well past 2:30 p.m. Fire officials noted the adjacent business office engulfed in flames has become too unstable to safely fight the conflagration from the inside, with crews tackling the blaze from the exterior.

At last check, one of the firefighters had been felled by heat-related injuries, officials noted. The frontage road fronting the car lot has been closed to accommodate fire crews, officials added.

Residents are urged to avoid the area. Patch will update when more details are known.