Fire in Winter Haven causes roof to collapse, evacuation of nearby apartment building
Courtesy: Andrew Mevoicy
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Flames shot through the roof of a building that was under construction on Friday night, according to officials.
Fire crews say the building located at 1599 6th St. SE in Winter Haven suffered extensive damage and the fire caused the roof to collapse. Winter Haven Fire crews responded to the fire around 9:30 p.m.
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According to the Winter Haven Police Department, five crews from the Winter Haven Fire Department and a crew from Polk County Fire tried to put out the blaze for close to two hours. Officials say investigators began to sift through the rubble once the scene was considered safe.
Courtesy: Winter Haven Police Department
First responders say members from the Winter Haven Police Department evacuated the residents of a neighboring two-story apartment complex. According to authorities, the apartment could have potentially been impacted by the fire.
The neighboring apartment building was not damaged and no civilians or firefighters were injured, according to the police department.
Courtesy: Winter Haven Police Department
"This was an extensive fire with buildings very close that were in danger of being impacted," said Fire Chief Sonny Emery in a statement. "Our crews were dedicated to not only extinguishing the flames, but maintaining a constant defense to protect the surrounding structures."
Officials say the fire is currently under investigation.