A fire ignited inside an Ocala apartment on Saturday morning after a child attempted to light a firework indoors.
Shortly before 11:10 a.m., Ocala Fire Rescue units consisting of Engines 1, 2, 3, and 5, Rescues 3 and 5, Tower 1, Battalion Chiefs 11 and 22, and a Safety Officer responded to Berkeley Pointe Apartments located at 2847 NE 7th Street in reference to a structure fire.
As firefighters rushed to the scene, they were informed by dispatch that the apartment building was filling with smoke and the tenants were evacuating. OFR crews quickly arrived on scene and observed a two-story, multi-family building with smoke and flames visible in a first-floor unit.
Engine 3’s crews secured a hydrant and Engine 5’s crew members immediately began attacking the flames.
The firefighters were informed that a dog was still inside the unit that was on fire. During a primary search of the smoke-filled apartment, Rescue 3’s crew members located and retrieved the dog.
Tower 1’s crews searched the apartment where the fire originated and assessed the condition of the second-floor unit that was located directly above. After firefighters ventilated the building and searched for hidden fire spots, the fire inspector was able to enter the area to identify the cause of the blaze.
After speaking with the occupants of the unit that had caught on fire, the inspector learned that one of the children in the residence had obtained a firework from a package that was purchased for a Fourth of July celebration. The child then attempted to light the firework indoors, according to OFR.
“Close supervision and fire education are critical in preventing curiosity from becoming a disaster,” stated Ocala Fire Rescue in a media release. As a precaution, OFR is reminding the public to keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.
OFR stated that a total of four units sustained fire damage. Those units included the apartment where the fire originated, the adjacent first-floor units on either side, and the second-floor unit that was located directly above.
The Ocala Police Department, Marion County Fire Rescue’s Medic 60 unit, a Chaplain, the Red Cross, Ocala Electric Utility, and the Ocala Building Department also responded.