‘I was really scared’: Neighbor witnessed Austin house fire involving family of 10

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department told KXAN it had a busy weekend responding to nearly a dozen structure fires, which AFD Battalion Chief Mark Bridges said is more than usual.

“Many of those are just due to normal accidental circumstances. Several of those are being investigated as suspicious,” Bridges said. “So we’re still working to investigate the cause of those are investigators are working hard to figure out what started those fires and who may have been responsible if anyone was.”

AFD said one of those accidental fires was at a home on Adina Street in east Austin.

‘I was really scared’

James Woods lives next to the home where AFD said it responded to a fire Sunday morning.

“I heard all that, boom, boom, boom,” Woods said. “I opened the door and looked out, flames was everywhere. The lady of the house, I heard her tell her grandson call 911.”

AFD said a 10-person family narrowly escaped the home.

The department said it did not have working smoke detectors.

“Luckily, the family that was there was able to wake up and they were able to get out of the house,” Bridges said. “Crews showed up and there was lots of fire and the house was heavily damaged but our crews were able to put a stop on the fire.”

According to AFD, the fire started from a cigarette that wasn’t put out properly.

Bridges said the Austin Police Department’s Victim Services and the Central Texas Red Cross are helping the family.