JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Vehicles that have been trapped for nearly a week in the fire-damaged portion of the hourly garage at Jacksonville International Airport are being towed to where their owners can retrieve them, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority announced Thursday.
JAA said multiple tow trucks are working to safely move the vehicles that are in the part of the hourly garage that was damaged by Friday’s devastating fire.
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By 10 a.m., JAA reported that 80 vehicles had already been moved and were ready for pickup.
Drivers began getting their cars out of the undamaged half of the hourly garage on Tuesday.
MORE: Full coverage of fire at JAX hourly garage
The fire damaged at least 50 vehicles and left 1,200 trapped for days until the airport could safely allow drivers to start picking them up.
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 can cross-reference and notify owners when their car is available to be picked up.
JAA said drivers who have not done so already should register their vehicle’s license plate at www.flyjax.com.
JAA is now contacting individuals as their vehicle is being removed with instructions on next steps. For other inquiries, the phone number for JAA’s call center is 904-741-2710.
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Since the airport announced Tuesday that people could begin picking up their cars, there has been a steady flow of drivers arriving who either walk directly to pick up their vehicle or have escorts provided if they have trouble finding theirs.
One sentiment is consistent: People just want their cars back.
“I’m just excited to get my car,” said one traveler named Tony. “We’re thrilled, we feel very blessed [that] there was no damage and we can get our car.”
“My wife dropped me off and I’m looking forward to getting my car,” said another traveler named Johnny. “They said it would probably have a smoke smell in the car, and I cracked my windows, because it was hot.”
Many others expressed excitement to get their cars, adding that their cars had little to no damage.
The Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Bureau said it is the lead investigative agency on the garage fire and is still working to determine the cause and origin.
Additionally, the law firm Morgan & Morgan says they have been retained by several people who were impacted by the garage fire, providing the following statement to News4JAX:
We have been retained by several people impacted by the massive fire at Jacksonville International Airport’s Hourly Parking Garage whose cars, along with dozens of others, have been destroyed.
We have already begun to investigate what went wrong and what could have been done to prevent this fire.
We will work to uncover any negligence that contributed to this scary and dangerous incident and hold potentially responsible parties accountable for the damage caused.
Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Rick Block
