JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Crews with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to a multi-story fire in the 9800 block of Tapestry Park Circle Wednesday shortly before 11 a.m.
“This turned into a second alarm fire as it was a hidden fire. It started in a column. It went up. It went through a ceiling in a breezeway, which happened to be underneath the apartment that was affected. We thought it was very manpower intensive for us as we had to cut through stucco to try and expose the fire and find it therefore to extinguish it,” Captain Eric Prosswimmer said.
The apartment that was primarily affected belonged to Melody Fajura and her family. She told us that she and her husband weren’t home at the time of the fire.
“I got a phone call, a text message that there are some fire trucks out in the neighborhood and that there was some fire and some smoke seen underneath our unit and so we were trying to get home to see what was going on,” Fajura said. “And then I got another phone call that they’re about to bust open my door.”
Her two kids, ages 8 and 9, were at school. Fajura says that her daughter’s school project was still on the dining room table.
Proswimmer says that the apartment is structurally unstable, meaning the family won’t be able to enter it for a while.
“I think right now we’ve got structural issues because we had to tear apart a bunch of stuff. The floor looks like it is sagging right now. So not sure structurally if it’s going to be safe for anybody to go in to for a while,” Proswimmer said.
A resident of one of the apartments told me that they were told the fire started on the ground level but now the smoke is all the way up into the second the third floors. Firefighters are now cutting into the third floor. pic.twitter.com/TQWqZMb0UY
— Hannah Lee (@HannahLee_WOKV) February 17, 2021
Fajura told WOKV that she had several family members in town and she was extremely fortunate.
“We have family in town, both sets of our families are here. So, again, we’re very fortunate to be in a good situation.”
No injuries were reported and at least two dogs were pulled out. One of the dogs were revived.
“The most important thing is that this material stuff can be replaced and that they are safe, that we’re safe and all of our neighbors are safe. That’s the most important thing,” Fajura said.
Cox Media Group
