Fire engulfs vacant businesses near I-35; officials warn to avoid 32nd Street

A fire engulfed a vacant motel and restaurant off of Interstate 35 near St. David's Hospital on Sunday.

Smoke could be seen from ACL Fest and as far as South Austin, according to social media reports.

University of Texas Police warned people to avoid the area along the 32nd Street and I-35 corridor as firefighters and officers responded to the incident. An Austin Fire Department official said crews are working to contain the fire to prevent it from spreading to nearby occupied structures.

AFD reported the building was entirely engulfed in flames by the time they arrived.

Videos from Reddit show the entire building up in flames.

Power outages east of I-35 near the blaze are affecting 3,742 customers, according to the city's outage maps. UTPD said that power lines may be affected by the fire. The outages started around the same time as the fire, residents reported.