Massive fire destroys 8 apartments of Orange Park complex

No injuries, 8 families burned out of Kings Tree Apartments

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Flames burned through the roof of a building of an Orange Park apartment complex Saturday evening, destroying eight units and leaving several families without homes, according to Clay County Fire Rescue Department.

No one was injured in the two-alarm fire at the Kings Tree Apartments on Kingsley Avenue that began just after 6 p.m. Orange Park and Jacksonville firefighters assisted the Clay County Fire Rescue in confining the fire to Building 4, although neighboring buildings were evacuated as a precaution. 

"They were sleeping and he ran over and knocked really loud to wake them up. He got smoke inhalation and they were able to get out with no shoes," said Corina Danielson, a friend of one of the fire victims. "Everything is gone."

John Ward, director of Clay County Emergency Management, said 15 people, three of them children, were burned out of their homes. The Red Cross was assisting those families.

The fire marshal was on-site determining the cause of the fire.

Vitaliy Cheraryavskiy said he wasn't home when the fire broke out and has yet to go inside his apartment. 

"I don’t know when I will be able to go in. I don’t know when they’ll allow me to go in," Cheraryavskiy said. I didn’t sleep today."

Kingsley Avenue was closed to traffic for several hours from Orange Park High School to Bellair Boulevard due the presence of fire equipment. The Clay Sheriff's Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control.

Those evacuated from the nearby buildings were allowed to return to their apartments.

The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and a local church are said to be helping the victims. 


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Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.