AUSTIN, TX (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Oasis, a popular club venue on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, was destroyed by a predawn fire on Wednesday, June 1.
The cliffside restaurant had become a local landmark, attracting millions of visitors with its sprawling views for more than two decades. The restaurant opened in 1982, and grew to become a multibuilding complex that seated more than 2,000.
The main three-story building, with its treehouse-like decks jutting out along a 450-foot cliff overlooking Travis Lake, was badly damaged, according to Hudson Bend Fire Chief Bruce Watson. Damage estimates topped $1 million.
Investigators have not determined where the blaze began, but think that lightning that accompanied heavy storms on Wednesday morning could have caused the blaze, which spewed a cloud of smoke that could be seen from downtown Austin about 20 miles away.
Owner Beau Theriot, who lives less than a quarter mile from the club, said he was awoken by his niece, who also lives nearby, pounding on his door and screaming that she thought the Oasis was on fire. By then, much of the restaurant was engulfed in flames.
Within hours, Theriot promised to rebuild, and said he hopes to have at least a small portion of the restaurant reopened in a week or so.
“This is my life, my life’s work,” said Theriot. “I’ve got 24 years of creation over there, and I’ve got to start re-creating.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
