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The venerable Oasis restaurant in Western Travis County, Texas, that is. The Oasis was billed as the Sunset Capital of Texas, so named for it's spectaular views of Lake Travis.
Fire destroys the Oasis
Lightning a possible cause; owner of landmark lake spot vows to rebuild
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Matt Rourke/AUSTIN-AMERICAN-STATESMAN
When the Oasis overlooking Lake Travis caught fire early Wednesday, the glow from the flames and the pillar of smoke could be seen for miles. Damage to restaurant that drew a million visitors annually and employed about 270 people was put at more than $1 million. Owner Beau Theriot says he'll rebuild,
By Tony Plohetski, Anita Powell, Claire Osborn
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, June 02, 2005
A predawn fire ripped through the Oasis on Lake Travis on Wednesday, destroying much of the sprawling cliffside restaurant that has become a local landmark and beckoned to millions of visitors for more than two decades.
Firefighters from the Hudson Bend Fire Department and others from as far away as Austin and Jollyville struggled for more than six hours to save what they could of the restaurant, which opened in 1982 in a small ranch house and grew to a multibuilding complex that seated more than 2,000.
No one was injured in the fire, which was reported at 4:36 a.m.
The main three-story building, with its treehouse-like decks jutting along a 450-foot cliff overlooking the lake, was badly damaged, Hudson Bend Fire Chief Bruce Watson said. About 25 of the 40 decks, the restaurant's main entrance and a courtyard were destroyed. Damage estimates topped $1 million.
Investigators, including those from the state fire marshal's office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, think lightning that accompanied heavy storms early Wednesday could have caused the blaze, which spewed a cloud of smoke that could be seen from downtown Austin about 20 miles away.
They have not determined where the blaze began, although some witnesses reported that the first signs of fire came from one of the decks.
Watson said the restaurant had passed previous fire inspections. Fire officials said that the decks had been treated with fire retardant three years ago and that newer parts of the building had sprinkler systems that activated during the fire.
Owner Beau Theriot, who lives on Comanche Trail less than a quarter-mile from his restaurant, said he was asleep about 4:30 a.m. when his niece, who also lives nearby, began pounding on his door, screaming that she thought the Oasis on fire.
Theriot (pronounced TERRY-oh) said she had been awakened by an explosive popping sound.
By then, firefighters said, much of the restaurant had been engulfed with fire. The glow from the flames was visible for miles.
Within hours, Theriot said he would rebuild. He 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, 58, who began his restaurateur career in Houston. "I've got 24 years of creation over there, and I've got to start re-creating."
An icon of fun
Hailed as one of Texas' top 10 tourist attractions, the Oasis drew an average of a million customers annually from all 50 states and several other countries. Theriot said he has seen people wearing Oasis T-shirts while traveling in Mexico City, Bangkok and Paris.
The restaurant hosted weddings, receptions and countless company parties. It also featured Sunday night salsa dancing and live music. Theriot likened it to a cruise-ship atmosphere.
On a given night, nearly 2,000 customers would pack the place, with crowds outside often waiting up to a couple of hours for a table.
"The Oasis is an icon of all the fun and entertainment and joy and life on Lake Travis," said Sherrie Hitt, one of dozens of loyal patrons who came to the lake early Wednesday to see the devastation. She stood near Mansfield Dam, peering across Lake Travis through binoculars.
Theriot had opened his first restaurant in 1973 when he was 26: the Brownstone Restaurant, which combined his love of food and antiques. He later opened his own gallery and launched Cafe Adobe in Houston's eclectic Montrose neighborhood.
He came to Lake Travis to build a weekend home. But after watching several sunsets from the edge of a nearby cliff, he decided he should build a restaurant there. Theriot said he bought the 500-acre tract for $1.5 million in 1979 with no particular plan.
By 1982, he had completed renovation of the ramshackle ranch house, the only structure on the property. Theriot said his initial plan was to offer a simple menu of hamburgers and beer to lake visitors.
After a couple of years, he decided to expand. He began adding decks on the side of the cliff, offering more visitors a view of sunsets over the nearby hills. Soon after it opened, restaurant workers began a tradition that continued through Tuesday: the ringing of a sunset bell followed by a standing ovation.
Theriot kept adding decks and expanded the menu to include Mexican cuisine, salads and other entrees.
Bob Crain, a real estate agent who lives just down the street from the restaurant, said he has been friends with Theriot since he moved to the area and watched him build the Oasis. Crain was one of its first customers on opening night.
"Beau turned it into a dream," he said. "It was really part of our lives."
For employees — the Oasis had about 270 servers, hostesses, bartenders and cooks — the restaurant provided a steady job with dependable tips.
Dozens of tearful workers showed up at the burning restaurant well before dawn Wednesday, many still wearing pajamas. Some questioned how they would pay for college tuition and rent.
"I've never had too many financial concerns, and now it's all gone," said server Adam Linstrom, who worked at the Oasis for 18 months. "This is crazy."
Throughout the day Wednesday, customers posted dozens of messages on Internet sites about the fire, remembering their favorite experiences. Some said they have moved away from Austin but always returned to the Oasis when they visited.
"The Oasis is where I met my wife on our first 'blind' date," wrote Jeff Campbell. "It was a beautiful setting in which to fall in love at first sight."
Still in shock
The night before the fire had been a typical one.
The restaurant played host to a banquet for IBM workers. Songs by the Eagles and Led Zeppelin played on the stereo. Employees said the restaurant closed about 10 p.m, and most of them cleared out about an hour later.
Many workers said they were exhausted from working the long Memorial Day weekend and were ready to enjoy a day off before preparing for this weekend's Republic of Texas biker rally.
Then their phones started ringing.
Misti Moore, who had worked as a server for more than two years, said a co-worker called her at 5:30 a.m. to tell her what was happening.
"She was just freaking out, saying the Oasis just burned to the ground," said Moore, who gathered with a group of employees at Mansfield Dam Park. "I'm still in shock."
"This place was my life," said Donny Cates, a food runner who had worked there about five months. "All my friends work here, and it was the first place I worked that felt like home."
As firefighters worked to put out the last hot spots, the restaurant's manager, Clay Mitchell, sat in a plastic chair in the parking lot, smoking a cigarette and watching the smoke rise from the rubble.
"We worked awful hard to make this what it is," he said. "To have this taken away just like that, it breaks your heart."
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