AUSTIN (KXAN) — The cause of a fire at a northeast Austin homeless camp Monday will remain undetermined because there are too many possibilities for what may have sparked it, the Austin Fire Department said Tuesday.

AFD told KXAN 50 people were living at the site under the E. Anderson Lane frontage road near Cameron Road. . AFD said Tuesday it wouldn’t be able to conclusively determine a cause, and added there was “no appreciable dollar loss re: damage to personal effects.”

Meanwhile, Austin’s Watershed Protection Department says it will add the area to its list of cleanups, because the camp is next to a flood-prone ditch.

Firefighters say no one was injured.

Even after the fire was out, AFD crews were on scene digging through debris to look for any hot spots. It says it’s “extremely hazardous” for the firefighters given the location (under a bridge) and dangerous debris like needles.

We are going to be here for literally hours, digging through the remains of couches, TVs, propane tanks, mattresses, trash and literally hundreds of needles,” said Acting Division Chief Matthew Cox on Monday morning.

Firefighters brought KXAN crews down under the road to look at makeshift rooms with bunk beds, carpet flooring and generators for power.

“Our people have known about it for quite some time because we come down here for medical calls a lot,” said Cox. “We always feared there would be a fire. Well, there was a fire.”

Firefighters have responded to the camp so often, they’ve given it a nickname.

“Our firefighters in this area euphemistically call it the ‘catacombs’,” said Cox.

The ‘Catacombs of Paris’ are underground tunnels where human remains are being held.

After hearing about the number of medical calls firefighters have been called to at the camp, KXAN reached out to AFD to see if the department raised any concerns with city leaders.

A spokesperson responded simply: “… when a call comes in, they go. Our job is to help, not to judge.”

TxDOT crews were brought in to inspect the frontage road and make sure it was safe for drivers.

By 5 p.m., nearly all the lanes were open for traffic.

Austin Fire is extinguishing a large fire at a homeless camp underneath the eastbound frontage road of Anderson Lane between IH-35 and Cameron Road. The area is VERY congested. The fire is knocked down and there have been no injuries. Overhaul is in progress to search for fire. pic.twitter.com/GkuCLoTMxw — Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) February 3, 2020

The Austin Fire Department responded to a fire at a homeless encampment on the frontage road of Anderson Lane and Interstate 35. Nobody was injured, AFD says. Photo from AFD

The Austin Fire Department responded to a fire at a homeless encampment on the frontage road of Anderson Lane and Interstate 35. Nobody was injured, AFD says. Photo from AFD

The Austin Fire Department responded to a fire at a homeless encampment on the frontage road of Anderson Lane and Interstate 35. Nobody was injured, AFD says. Photo from AFD

The Austin Fire Department responded to a fire at a homeless encampment on the frontage road of Anderson Lane and Interstate 35. Nobody was injured, AFD says. Photo from AFD

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

AFD is fighting a fire at a homeless encampment on Anderson Lane between I-35 and Cameron Road. (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)

Austin Fire Department photos of a homeless encampment where there was a fire Feb. 3, 2020 (Austin Fire Department Photo)

Environmental Impact

Officials with the City of Austin’s Watershed Department said they were first made aware of the growing homeless camp back in July 2019. Stationed on and around the Buttermilk Branch Creek, they were unable to tackle clean-up of the site until a contractor was finalized, which the city council authorized back in December.

Work started in earnest on Friday, Jan. 31 at a nearby location and the homeless camp where the fire started was again scheduled for further watershed evaluation in the future.

Since the fire on Monday, the Watershed Protection Department said they will be prioritizing this location.

City of Austin officials admit they knew about the dangers of a homeless camp in North Austin for months. ~50 people lived there.



When it caught fire today, the Watershed Protection Department elevated its priority – the amount of debris there is a flood hazard. pic.twitter.com/qgZ305gR9t — Alex Caprariello (@alcaprari23) February 4, 2020

“There are thousands of these locations all across the city. It’s impossible to be everywhere,” said Jose Guerrero, assistant director for The Watershed Protection Department when asked why crews didn’t begin clean-up back in July when the homeless camp was first acknowledged.

Guerrero said that the pollution prevention team has declared that there is no threat to water quality at the moment. The debris from the homeless camp could, however, cause blockage during heavy rain and create a flooding risk.

“We are accepting responsibility for cleaning that toward our mission of reducing flood control and protecting water quality,” Guerrero said.

There is no timeline yet on when this area will be completely cleaned up.

The Watershed Protection Department said it needs police to go down there with workers before the official evaluation can be completed and work can begin.