AUSTIN, Texas — One person was rescued from an apartment fire Monday morning in South Austin.
The Austin Fire Department (AFD) said crews arrived around 8 a.m. to The Bridge at Asher apartments off South Interstate 35, not far from Onion Creek, after receiving a call about a fire on the first floor balcony.
When crews arrived on the scene, they located a fire inside a unit. One person was found unconscious in a bathroom and rescued. Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) medics performed life-saving measures on that person on the lawn before taking them to a hospital in critical condition, with life-threatening injuries.
AFD said crews put the fire out in 10 minutes and searched other nearby apartments. Neighbors who heard smoke detectors called 911, found a dog from the apartment that was on fire and went around knocking on doors to warn others to get out.
Two people are unable to return to their apartments after AFD said the apartment adjacent to the one with the fire was also impacted because of water damage.
AFD said there is roughly $18,000 in damages for the structure itself and approximately $4,000 in damages for contents inside the apartment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
No additional details are available at this time.