ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A fire broke out Monday afternoon at a home in St. Augustine, prompting a swift response from crews with the St. Johns County Fire Rescue and St. Augustine Fire Department.
In a social media post, SJCFR said its crews found a “heavy fire” on the roof of a large single-family home on Pantano Drive.
“Thanks to a coordinated response, the fire has been brought under control, and firefighters are now conducting overhaul operations to ensure the fire is completely extinguished,” the agency said.
No injuries were reported, SJCFR said.
Renee Yoos, a neighbor who witnessed the fire, called the event “devastating” for the residents, whom she says had the home built.
“I’m so sad,” Yoos said. “[The home] was beautiful. I’ve been in it before.”
Yoos tells News4JAX she had just gotten home from a vacation when her phone was bombarded with messages asking about what happened. '
“I wanted to come out and see for myself, I’m so glad to know that nobody was here and no one got hurt,” she said.
St. Johns County Fire Rescue and St. Augustine Fire both responded to the call just before 4 p.m. on Monday. They were searching for anyone who could have been inside when the ceiling collapsed.
An image taken by a News4JAX reporter at the scene showed that the fire was extinguished earlier in the day, while also revealing some of the damage caused by the flames.
“We kind of had to go what we call defensive,” explained SJC Fire Rescue official Chris Naff. “There’s also, on the north side of the house, an exposure, which is a house right next door, that we had to protect from catching fire as well.”
Ada Hajdini, a local real estate agent, said she was on her way to a separate home for a showing when she witnessed the flames.
“I never seen anything like this,” Hajdini said. “And then this kind of fast response...With the other house being right next door to it, and there was no other damage [or] debris, or burning anywhere else...I [have] never seen it.
News4JAX viewers also sent videos of the flames before it was doused by fire crews.
Crews could also be seen assessing the roof’s damage.
An investigation into how the fire began is ongoing, and the family whom the home belongs too is out of town, so we’re waiting to hear if the Red Cross will respond.
The St. Augustine Fire Department said its crews will be at the scene overnight, making sure the fire doesn’t reignite.
