Abandoned Travis House catches fire

AUSTIN (KXAN) - An overnight fire at the Travis House building closed streets in Downtown Austin just before rush hour.

Firefighters battled the fire that broke out around 4 a.m. Tuesday. A call reported flames showing at the Travis House building at 405 West 18th St.

Authorities said the early morning fire started on the first floor and quickly spread to the top floor through an internal stairwell. The flames became so intense at one point that the fire was declared a second alarm, meaning 20 units and about 60 firefighters responding to the scene to get it under control.

The Travis House building has been used for firefighter training in the past and was the site of an arson fire about a year ago.

Austin Fire Department investigators were still at the scene as of 11:25 a.m. Tuesday trying to figure out the cause of the blaze. Damage estimates are still pending.

Meanwhile, Guadalupe Street was blocked for some time from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to 16th Street.