Video: Historic TX Firefighter Drill Tower Catches Fire

Fire damaged the historic Buford Tower in downtown Austin on Thursday evening but is now under control, according to Austin fire officials.

Austin firefighters were trying to put out a fire near the structure earlier in the evening. Around 9:20 p.m. Thursday, Austin fire tweeted that the fire had spread to the tower.

About Buford Tower

After the Austin Fire Department was started in 1916, the city authorized the construction of a fire drill tower in 1929, and it was completed in 1930. The tower is located downtown, and as the city grew around it, the structure was no longer viable as a training facility. In 1978, the tower was renovated and dedicated to Austin Fire Capt. James L. Buford, who died in 1972 trying to rescue a 15-year-old boy in Shoal Creek flooding.

The fire department tweeted shortly before 9:30 p.m. that the fire was under control and added that the damage was limited to the exteriors and the windows of the structure, which is located at the intersection of Cesar Chavez and Colorado streets.

Fire officials said the fire that spread to the tower is believed to have stemmed from a camp near the structure that is occupied by people who are experiencing homelessness.

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