The house fire on East 14th Street Monday that left four hospitalized and nine displaced has been ruled arson, according to the Austin Fire Department.Authorities say they have no suspect information at this time, but do have three or four “persons of interest” they want to talk with. There is a $1,000 reward for information leading to a person or persons who could be responsible for setting the fire.
The blaze happened just before 5:30 a.m. Monday in the 2100 block of East 14th Street.
Two patients who were listed in critical condition, an 11-year-old and 16-year-old, were airlifted to Shriner’s Hospital in Galveston for inhalation burns. As of Friday, they are still hospitalized for their injuries but are improving.
"I talked to their mother and they are improving. They are still on breathing devices, but they are improving every day and from everybody we've talked to, everybody else is out of the hospital," Captain Andy Reardon with the Austin Fire Department said.
Two other patients who were listed in serious condition, a 65-year-old man and a pregnant 16-year-old girl, were taken via Star FLIGHT to San Antonio Military Medical Center with airway burns. These two patients have been released.
Two 19-year-old men were treated and released from University Medical Center Brackenridge and a 13-year-old boy was treated and released from Dell Children’s Hospital.
The total damage from the fire was $100,000 in structural damage and $25,000 in contents.