OFD: Massive fire at Royal Isles apartments was an accident
The fire that blazed through 12 units of an apartment complex Wednesday morning started by accident, according to a statement released by the Orlando Fire Department.
Investigators believe the fire at the Royal Isles apartments, in east Orlando off Semoran Boulevard, started on the second floor and spread to the attic, the statement said. Patterns showed the fire traveled through the common attic space. There also may have been a delay in calling 911, OFD said.
The exact cause remains unknown because of heavy fire damage, shown in pictures also released by OFD. Most of the building’s roof was burned off by the flames. Only the walls and metal structures remained standing in the rubble.
A woman told investigators her grandson woke her up after hearing a “loud popping sound” and seeing a fire in the living room. They tried to put it out with an extinguisher, but the fire quickly spread, so the family evacuated.
The fire department received multiple 911 calls shortly after 8 a.m. Crews arrived to find heavy flames shooting through the roof. By 9:15 a.m. the fire was out. The building’s residents and their pets made it out safely. One person did choose to go to a hospital for treatment after being overcome by emotion, said Ashley Papagni, a spokeswoman for OFD.
The Red Cross is helping the 64 people who lived in the damaged apartments. Out of the 12 families, three were placed in unoccupied apartment units and nine got other assistance.