An early morning fire caused significant damage to a Starke apartment building Tuesday morning, but fortunately no one was injured.
At 6:25 a.m. Feb. 14, firefighters from Starke and Bradford County were alerted to a fire in a two-story apartment building after the 911 communications center received a call for help. Starke Engine 1 arrived moments later to heavy fire coming from the attic and roof of the structure. Starke police officers, arriving just ahead of Engine 1, assisted two occupants from the building.
Firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire, but the building construction complicated matters. “The fire was contained to the attic,” said Fire Chief Gary Wise. “The tongue and groove construction in the ceilings made this fire a difficult one to fight. Our crews did a great job controlling it.”
Additional crews from Bradford County Fire Rescue as well as a ladder truck from Clay County Fire Rescue worked through the day to extinguish remaining hot spots and thoroughly check the building for any signs of embers or pockets of fire.
The original call to 911 was from a resident who heard noises in the attic and thought someone may have been on the roof. After 911 dispatchers asked more questions, they determined the building was on fire.
The home, built in 1930, was constructed with hardwoods and that created issues for firefighters. Getting water into the attic was difficult initially and required extensive efforts. “I can’t say enough about these guys,” said Chief Wise. “This was a difficult blaze, but they made a great stop.”
The fire is under investigation and no damage estimate was immediately available.
Prepared by Michael Heeder, city of Starke. Photo courtesy of Bradford County Fire Rescue/Gigi Woods.
