Christmas Day brought more than festive cheer to a Fort Lauderdale mobile home community as two separate blazes claimed two unoccupied homes. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to a call at around 5 a.m. and found one home fully engulfed at 6782 NW 1st Avenue. In a hastily shift of focus, they soon learned of another mobile home ablaze a few lots away, both fires decimating the structures, as noted in a CBS Miami report.
While no injuries were to report, the incident has sparked concern among residents, who've recently been served eviction notices following the October sale of the mobile park to a new company. "One second, it's there, and another second, it's just gone," Josh Tinoco told NBC Miami, reflecting on the loss of what used to be his aunt's abode and a place he considered a second home. His family had to just moved out two weeks prior to the fire, as per the NBC Miami interview.
The suspicions of arson are fueled by the timing of the fires, with residents already apprehensive due to the eviction deadline set for April 22. Sergio Pleitez, a decade-long resident of the park, has expressed his resignation to the situation, telling NBC Miami about the unexpected notice that upended the lives of many in the community. The shadow of doubt has been cast over the coincidental blazes, bolstering fears of foul play.
Amid rampant speculation, official investigations are underway to determine the fires' origins. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue has confirmed state fire marshals are on the case, although the company that bought the property has not yet to give a comment. Pleitez and others cite increased theft and police activity as reasons to believe the Christmas Day fires were no accident, and hopes are pinned on the authorities to shed light on the truth of the tragic holiday occurrence. "Because I can’t see just two houses randomly going on fire as an accident," Tinoco was to speculate, according to his NBC Miami interview.
