JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A fire that damaged at least 50 cars inside the hourly garage at the Jacksonville International Airport on Friday has left the airport with fewer parking spaces and more headaches for travelers.
Many are opting to be dropped off at JAX via rideshare or someone they know rather than deal with the hassle of parking now that the hourly garage is closed.
MORE: Full coverage of fire at JAX hourly garage
One traveler, who said she got lucky the day of the fire, said she’ll be bumming rides to the airport for the foreseeable future.
“I live in Ponte Vedra, so it’s quite a drive. But (a lady) was able to pick me up early this morning to bring me (to the airport),” Alice Ann Battle said.
Battle, who was heading to Atlanta, said she’ll be doing that “at least until everything is repaired and we’re back in business with the garage.”
Battle said the hourly garage was full on Friday when she drove to the airport, so she had to park in another lot -- which saved her car from being among those trapped in the garage.
Starting Tuesday, drivers who had been contacted by the airport directly were able to start retrieving their cars from the undamaged portion of the hourly garage.
Officials said 10 JAX volunteers and employees began calling people on Tuesday morning to notify them that their car would be available for pickup on Tuesday evening. The call center will be staffed again starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Those who have their cars parked in the hourly garage were asked to fill out an online form to receive updates regarding their vehicles. With the help of that form, airport volunteers will be able to cross-reference and notify owners if they were parked in a “safe area.”
How it happened
A Jacksonville Aviation Authority police report obtained by News4JAX on Tuesday revealed the timeline of the devastating fire.
According to the report, security footage showed that the initial smoke came from a mid-sized BMW that was parked in the upper level of the hourly garage.
RELATED | Jacksonville officials dispel rumor that garage fire at airport was started by a Tesla
With the help of security video of the parking garage, officials put together the following timeline:
8:07 a.m.: Mid-size BMW dark in color, enters hourly garage through upper level access
8:09 a.m.: Woman parks and exits vehicle, walking toward departures
12:03 p.m.: Smoke observed coming from beneath the front of the vehicle
12:04 p.m.: Vehicle fully engulfed in fire. Due to the thick smoke, the video did not show how the fire spread after that
According to the report, around 12:06 p.m., the Airport Operations Control Center received a forwarded dispatch from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office about a car on fire in the hourly garage.
JAA officers responded to the scene.
The report said Officer Muse was the first to arrive at the scene and saw a car on fire rapidly spreading to nearby vehicles.
Due to low/no visibility, Muse helped several passengers from the hourly garage to safety.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department also responded to the scene to battle the flames.
According to the report, firefighters treated an “unknown” number of passengers for smoke inhalation.
The report goes on to say that the fire caused structural damage to the hourly garage, prompting its closure.
Officials said in a news conference after the fire that parts of the parking structure had partially collapsed.