JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nearly three dozen people were without homes Thursday night after their apartment building went up flames.
The fire on Powers Avenue near Wolfson High School drew dozens of onlookers as flames shot nearly 20 feet into the air.
Firefighters got the call about the fire at the Pointe Sienna Apartments just before 8 p.m. and had it under control within an hour, despite some challenges with water supply and tight conditions inside the units.
“Firefighters made a quick, aggressive attack on this and were able to cut off and save a large portion of the building from more damage,” Battalion Chief Andrew White said. “It's got a common attic throughout the building, so they were able to cut if off to keep it from going from one end of the building to the other.”
Despite the efforts of 50 to 60 firefighters, at least two-thirds of the building was damaged, fire officials said.
Officials said no one was injured, but 11 families with a total of 33 people were displaced by the fire, which destroyed 16 units in the building. Not all of the units were occupied, officials said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
A spokeswoman with the Red Cross said the organization was sending volunteers to the apartment complex to assist the displaced families. She said it's possible the Red Cross could open a shelter, but it's unclear if that will be necessary yet.
A neighbor who lives in the building across the pool area from the one that caught fire said he heard the commotion and ran out to see if he could assist the firefighters.
"People were running around kind of crazy, like they would in this situation, but it seems like people got out pretty quick," Nicholas Martin said.
An 11-year-old girl who lives in a nearby building said her family ran out because they felt shaking and heard noise.
"The people across from us were running down the stairs because they knew the people in the building," Amarissa Hedrick said. "My mom walked outside, and I followed, and all I saw was one of the balconies on fire."