One man is dead, and a woman was injured after an early-morning apartment fire in Jacksonville’s St. Nicholas area, family members and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue officials said.
Family members identified the man who died as 24-year-old Linton Alejandro Munguía Martínez. Officials have not released the name of the woman who was taken to the hospital.
The fire broke out Sunday at the Landon Imperial Apartments on Art Museum Drive, where crews worked to evacuate residents as smoke and flames spread. Video from the scene shows heavy flames coming from part of the building.
Several families were displaced, including a mother and her three children who lost most of their belongings and were still trying to figure out where they would stay Sunday night, according to community members.
Fabiola Marmolejo, a friend of one displaced family, said Munguía Martínez was trying to help others escape when the fire broke out. “The victim that died was helping Sandra Martinez and her kids and two other guys,” Marmolejo said. She said the fire has shaken the neighborhood. “As a community, you know, we need to get together. It could happen to me, it could happen to anybody.”
The American Red Cross said it is assisting 12 residents, including five children, with emergency housing and basic necessities.
A local nonprofit, Kim’s Open Door, is helping the mother and her children with urgent needs, including food, clothing and temporary shelter. “This family is left without anything in their possession and they obviously don’t have a place to stay,” said Kim Bogart, founder and director of Kim’s Open Door. “We would love to get support through Kim’s Open Door, which will go for food, clothing, and shelter for this family as they get their feet back on the ground.”
Bogart said community support will be key in helping the family recover. “We know that just rebuilding one family like this is going to take an army of people working together,” she said.
More information about Kim’s Open Door is available at here.
A GoFundMe has also been created for Munguía Martínez’s family. A link is available for anyone who can donate.
Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.