Abandoned building in Arlington goes up in flames

Records show storage building shares property with what was once hotel

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A fire was sparked Wednesday evening at an abandoned building in Arlington, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

The building is on University Boulevard near the Arlington Expressway Service Road. JFRD said the building was abandoned.

Despite the large blaze which could be seen from very far away, the structure that burned was a small building that appeared to be meant for storage.

No injuries were reported in the fire. As of about 7 p.m., JFRD said the fire was under control.

Records show the building stands on property connected to what was once the Thunderbird Motor Hotel. The fire in the storage building was kept away from nearby structures like the Legacy Church.

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A woman who was across the street when the fire broke out described the scene.

"Everyone was here. Fire Rescue, EMT, police, everybody was in there and that was all in a matter of minutes, maybe 10 to 15 minutes," she said. "They came pretty quickly."

Some people pulled over to get a better look at the fire. One woman who lives nearby said she was watching Channel 4 and took a drive to see what happened.

"It was fully engulfed," she said. "I'm proud of JFRD. My son is a firefighter and I always pray for them."

Shortly after 11 p.m., firefighters were still at the scene checking for hot spots.

Piles of debris and rubble were all that was left behind Thursday morning as the state fire marshal worked to determine what caused the fire.


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