Updated 07/05/2012 10:38 AM
Early morning East Austin blaze ruled arson
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
Officials say arson is to blame for a house fire in East Austin early Thursday morning.
The Austin Fire Department responded to a house fire near Ninth Street and Lincoln Street at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. When crews arrived, the entire front of the house was ablaze.
As crews battled the fire, they also worked to prevent other structures from catching on fire.
"We put lines on both sides to get the fire knocked down very quickly. The car on the street in front of the house was damaged fairly heavily from the radiant heat. Certainly with the houses this close it was a concern for a short period of time," Battalion Chief Thayer Smith said.
Crews say the home is a total loss. Police believe the homeowners were out of town on vacation at the time of the fire.
Investigators have damage estimates at about $84,000, including about $4,000 to the house and car next door.
No injuries were reported.
Arson is a second-degree felony, punishable by two to 20 years in prison.