Predawn fire at Avery Ranch Golf Club destroys 83 carts, officials say

Firefighters were investigating the cause of a blaze that destroyed more than 80 golf carts at Avery Ranch Golf Club in Northwest Austin early Monday.

Crews were dispatched to the club near Brushy Creek around 5:30 a.m. after someone on the property saw flames and called 911, according to Thayer Smith, a division chief with the Austin Fire Department.

At the club a few minutes later, firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from a building used to store golf carts. The building was locked, so the crews tried to break in. But before they could bust down the door, flames started coming through the roof, Smith said.

Austin fire officials said a dozen of their units and 48 firefighters, joined by Cedar Park and Round Rock firefighters spent more than two hours fighting the blaze, which resulted in damage worth an estimated $2 million. The cause was still under investigation on Tuesday.

"Ultimately, the fire pretty much destroyed the building," Smith said, adding that about 80% of the structure collapsed atop 83 golf carts. "The golf carts created a very significant amount of fire with all the fuel and plastic and rubber. So, quite a significant fire load and everything was destroyed."

One firefighter received a minor burn to his arm while fighting the flames, according to Smith. No other injuries were reported.

Firefighters were told to remain at the club all day Monday, working to extinguish flames that were likely to start up again because of the heat.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fire at Avery Ranch Golf Club destroys 83 carts, officials say