Source of Car Fire at Texas Capitol Under Investigation

A car burst into flames just outside of the Texas State Capitol in Austin right after 2 p.m. on Friday. The dark colored car was parked on the south side of the Capitol outside the entrance to the building. The source of the car fire, and any danger to the building, or those in it, is under investigation.

Breitbart Texas learned that firefighters, and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), have responded. One witness to the fire told this writer the fire spread to the white SUV parked next to the darker colored car. A Segway tour bus was reported to be nearby. The bus was cleared.

Firemen from the Austin Fire Department were photographed breaking the windows of the car.

Here is a slightly closer photo of the car that caught fire at the Texas Capitol: #txlege pic.twitter.com/uSyCPP5VoP

— Bobby Blanchard (@bobbycblanchard) August 7, 2015

Around 2:30 p.m., Brittney Martin, a reporter for The Dallas Morning News tweeted “Looks like the car’s toast, but fire’s out.”

Looks like a car is on fire outside Capitol. They’re breaking the windows out. pic.twitter.com/BVnLIdZpLx — Brittney Martin (@BeeDotMartin) August 7, 2015

The car was located just yards from the south entrance of the Capitol.

Looks like the car’s toast, but fire’s out #txlege pic.twitter.com/yqFVmVAQE1

— Brittney Martin (@BeeDotMartin) August 7, 2015

DPS and the Austin Fire Department is investigating the source of the fire. No sounds of an explosion have been reported. 

Kimmie Nemecek reported on Twitter that the car belongs to a staffer in the Capitol who works in the Sergeant at Arms office in the Texas House.

@caitmeise car belongs to @morgantheIII from the House Sgts

— Kimmie Nemecek (@kimmielanee) August 7, 2015

Breitbart Texas will update this story when it has more information from DPPS at the Capitol. As of time of publication, DPS was investigating the fire.

Elsewhere in the world of Twitter, commentary on the current Texas heatwave prompted the following tweet.

hot enough here in #texas to make smores on the car hood! pic.twitter.com/oHZn4rjKdf

— Deborah Fleck (@debbiewfleck) August 7, 2015

Fires in proximity to the State’s seat of government seem to happen too often. In 1881, the Texas Capitol Building burned to the ground. This led to the redesign and construction of today’s building which is the largest of all U.S. state capitols.

The adjacent Texas Governor’s Mansion was also the victim of fire. In June, 2008 arsonists set the home of then-Governor Rick Perry ablaze.  Perry was out of town at the time.

Lana Shadwick is contributing writer for Breitbart Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2