Woman returns home to wet belongings nearly 2 months after Jacksonville high-rise fire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the first time since a fire displaced more than 200 people a week before Christmas, some tenants of Jacksonville Townhouse Apartments were allowed back inside their homes on Wednesday.

One tenant, who did not want to be identified, shared exclusive video with Action News Jax of her unit on the first floor.

“Welcome back, first floor,” she said.

She said she’s frustrated that nearly two months after the fire, some of the boxes containing her belongings are wet.

Her belongings were piled up all over her unit -- some in boxes, some in the bathtub.

It’s been her home for eight years, but now she said she’s had enough.

“They said, ‘Are you moving in?’ And I said, no, I’m moving out,” she said.

On Tuesday, a HUD spokesperson said first and fifth-floor tenants could move back in starting Wednesday.

Attorney Kirby Johnson from the Law Offices of John Phillips, who is representing dozens of Jacksonville Townhouse Apartments tenants, said only people on the first floor were allowed to return on Wednesday.

One fifth-floor tenant told Action News Jax he’s heard nothing from management yet.

Jacksonville Townhouse Apartments' management company, Cambridge Management, fought hard to prevent Action News Jax from being able to show the public images from inside the building.

Employees at the nearby Goodyear Tire shop where Action News Jax’s crew parked their truck said apartment management and private security called the business four times within an hour, asking Goodyear to kick Action News Jax out of the parking lot.

A woman who lives on the first floor invited Action News Jax to her unit, but security asked us to leave the property when we showed up.

The law allows Action News Jax to visit any tenant who invites us to their apartment unit.

Security guards on the property asked us to wait outside while they called police.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Lt. David Hall showed up and talked to Cambridge Management first.

“Management says she doesn’t live here anymore, OK? They said that she doesn’t live here. She doesn’t have an apartment here,” Hall said.

Action News Jax pointed out that the tenant was inside her unit with her belongings at the time.

“OK, she must be moving out. They don’t want you here,” Lt. Hall said.

Action News Jax agreed to leave the property, at JSO’s request.

On Wednesday, Action News Jax got a hold of reports from multiple Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department inspections at Jacksonville Townhouse Apartments since the fire. One report shows management was still failing to routinely inspect their sprinklers just one week ago.

It’s a violation that’s been coming up during JFRD inspections there since October.

Cox Media Group