AFD: Expired fire extinguishers contribute to worsened damage at southeast Austin apartment complex

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A total of 17 people were displaced in a southeast Austin apartment fire that spread to 10 apartments, the Austin Fire Department said on social media Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported.

AFD said around 2:30 p.m. crews responded to the Array Apartments in the 2100 block of Burton and were on scene within seven minutes.

A resident of the complex who did not want to be named said he and three others tried to help put the fire out using the apartment's fire extinguishers before AFD arrived, only to realize three out of four were "dud[s] and didn't work."

AFD told KXAN the reason why the fire extinguishers didn't work was because they were expired.

AFD said adjacent apartments were evacuated, along with pets inside those apartments. Crews were able to rescue two cats and three dogs and reunite them with their owners.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it is suspected to be accidental, according to AFD. The residents who were displaced are being helped by the Red Cross.