Dalia Rodriguez shivered as much from the cold winter night as the memory of fleeing mere steps ahead of the roaring flames that destroyed her family’s home along with seven other apartments Saturday.
Rodriguez was among 15 people including three children left homeless when a massive, fast-moving fire destroyed eight apartments in their building at Kings Tree Apartments, 1800 Kingsley Ave.
“Everything is ok. I don’t have anything in my apartment. But everything is good. I am ok. My son, my family is ok,,” Rodriguez said as she dabbed at tears half-frozen on her cheeks and eye lashes about an hour after firefighters extinguished the blaze.
No deaths or injuries were reported in the two-alarm blaze battled by Clay County, Jacksonville, Orange Park and St. Johns County firefighters who kept it from spreading to adjacent buildings in the complex.
One person was evaluated at the scene for possible smoke inhalation in another building, but no one was taken to the hospital, fire officials said.
Initial reports from the fire scene indicated people might be trapped inside the building, which is across Kingsley Avenue from Orange Park Medical Center.
However, everyone got out of the buildings. And as a precaution, firefighters also evacuated residents from neighboring buildings in the complex, Clay County Fire Chief Lorin Mock said.
Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as the state Fire Marshal’s Office are working to pinpoint the cause and origin of the devastating fire, said John Ward, Clay County Emergency Management director.
Investigators shifted through the charred debris of the burned-out building through the night. Some firefighters also remained overnight at the scene to guard against hot spots flaring up, county officials said.
Ward said it was too early in the investigation to calculate the dollar loss. However, preliminary assessment indicated fire, smoke or water damage means the displaced families won’t be able to return home any time soon.
“Most of those units are at a total loss. We have one that may have some non-substantial damage but it’s unknown at this point until they get in there and actually check the structural stability,” Ward said.
Rodriguez and her son were sound asleep when her brother pounded on the apartment door – yelling for them wake up, get up and get out because their building was on fire.
“They ran out with nothing. They didn’t have shoes on or anything. They just had ran out as fast and they could,” said Corina Danielson, a friend who rushed over to see if the family was safe as soon as she heard about the fire.
The Rodriguez family lived next door to the apartment where firefighters think the blaze started. Witnesses said they heard several loud explosions as flames shot through the roof and out the side windows of the two-story apartment building.
Mock said a Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department crew reported the fire about 6:15 p.m. Those first responders were coming out of the hospital’s emergency room to return to Jacksonville when they saw heavy smoke then flames at the apartment building, he said.
The Jacksonville firefighters did the initial evacuation of the residents, Ward said.
“When we do those evacuations, it’s literally grab yourself, grab your kids and let’s go. There is not a lot of time to gather stuff when you have an active fire like that,” Ward said.
Witnesses estimated at least 50-75 firefighters using several ladder trucks and multiple other fire engines poured water onto the burning building. At one point, Jacksonville fire officials ordered firefighters to get out of the building because it was too dangerous to continue fighting from the inside.
Initial reports indicated people might be trapped inside the building, but all residents got out safely, Mock said.
He estimated firefighters battled the blaze about an hour before being able to put it out.
Bernard Clark, a cashier at the Circle K convenience store next door to the apartment complex, was stunned by the intensity of the fire. As he was working, Clark said he noticed one of their customers walking back and forth outside the store. When he went out to check to see if the man was all right, Clark said he saw the fire.
“He said, ‘yo, the apartments next door are on fire.’ … All you could see is flames coming out the front from upstairs,” Clark said. The fire went through the roof and spread to the apartment next to it, he said.
Clark said many of the apartment complex residents are customers at the store.
“It was a devasting fire. … Pretty much that whole building is done for,” he said.
Clay County sheriff’s deputies aided by Orange Park police officers and Florda Highway Patrol troopers closed down Kingsley – a major thoroughfare – and diverted traffic around the fire scene for several hours.
Forced from their homes, the families initially took shelter from the cold in the apartment complex’s recreation center. The American Red Cross as well as local churches were helping the displaced families. Some planned to stay with relatives.
Rodriguez said she and her family are blessed to be alive, and grateful no one was hurt.
“These are my angels. My family and my friends, everyone. … Everything will be ok,” Rodriguez said of those who’ve come to her family’s aid.
Teresa Stepzinski: (904) 359-4075
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