
Three individuals are in critical condition after a fire engulfed a vacant house on block 1400 West 7th Street in Jacksonville's Durkeeville neighborhood, a fire that has raised concerns among locals about the frequency of such incidents. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to the blaze yesterday morning at a property that was reportedly boarded up. The victims, found in different rooms within the residence, were initially listed in serious condition but have since been transferred to the UF burn unit in Gainesville, now battling critical injuries, according to First Coast News.
The incident, which occurred east of Paxson School for Advanced Studies, has put a spotlight back onto the safety hazards posed by such uninhabited structures. Despite the house being sealed, JFRD reported that the individuals were quickly found and taken to UF Health for treatment of smoke inhalation. "It’s bound to happen again," a sentiment shared by a local, reflects the community's growing concern over recurring fires as reported by WOKV.
Neighbors of the Allendale area were also brought to unease as this was not the first fire to erupt on this particular street within the last year. With little to no signs of activity at the house prior to the fire, the blaze's sudden onset left residents unsettled. According to a local resident, "I looked there to the right toward the house, it was engulfed in flames and a lot of sparks coming from the transformer, because I think it might have exploded too," in a narrative shared with News4JAX.