AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters are working to place out a fireplace at a warehouse, house to a 3D printing building firm, in south Austin early Friday morning.
The Austin Fireplace Division said the warehouse is on St. Elmo Highway close to Industrial Boulevard. That’s by East Ben White Boulevard and I-35.
Austin Fireplace Division Chief Stephen Truesdell mentioned paramedics leaving an Austin hospital observed the hearth round 3:30 within the morning and alerted the division. He mentioned the hearth was burning for “fairly a while” earlier than the crew noticed the hearth.
Chief Truesdell mentioned when firefighters arrived, at the least two buildings have been absolutely engulfed. The hearth took some time to get below management due to its dimension. With a lot of the constructing collapsed, firefighters are unable to go inside.
One of many affected companies is ‘The Yard.’ Austin Fireplace mentioned that is the place the primary fireplace was and gave the impression to be below building. The enterprise is “house to the whole lot from alcohol manufacturing, design builders/3D printing, and inventive studios,” in accordance with the enterprise web site.
Chief Truesdell mentioned the hearth unfold to ICON, a 3D printing building firm. The Austin-based tech firm partnered with the Texas Army Division to construct the biggest 3D-printed barracks within the nation at Camp Swift close to Bastrop. It additionally labored with NASA to design and assemble a reusable touchdown pad that may very well be 3D printed from supplies discovered on the moon and labored with an Austin nonprofit to construct houses for folks experiencing homelessness.
AFD mentioned there are not any reported accidents. About 66 firefighters and Austin-Travis County EMS medics responded to the hearth.
Crews will keep on scene for the subsequent a number of hours to work on sizzling spots. Investigators are working to determine the reason for the hearth as crews work to comprise it.