A fierce blaze believed to have been caused by a lightning strike ripped through a Wilton Manors apartment, leaving devastation in its wake, and displacing two residents early this morning. The Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue squad responded to the emergency calls in the two-story building on Northeast 11th Avenue, working to contain the fire, which had taken hold in the attic of the structure. In a video obtained by Local 10, the intensity of the situation becomes apparent as firefighters are seen tending to the smoldering remains.
The fire was reportedly controlled in approximately 30 minutes. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and a fire investigator is actively working to cement what many already believe, that a capricious lightning strike may have been the genesis of this inferno, according to the report by Local 10.
In a resonating account, concerns about the structure's integrity have intensified after the inferno left a prominent hole in the roof, a scar in the building’s facade. Neighboring townhomes were not immune to the chaos, where residents like Joshua Head recall waking to a "loud explosion" followed by the pungent scent of smoke. Speaking to WSVN, Head detailed the horrifying experience and the subsequent deluge, both from the tempest outside and the hoses of salvation wielded by firefighters.
The damage was significant, ceilings caved under the weight of the waterlogged insulation, and the lower floors were left awash in inches of water resulting, in a necessitated and costly reconstruction process that is presently underway. “I’ve never experienced anything like this. This right here was just unbelievable, you know, a one-in-a-million shot. Thank God that we actually got up when we did because had we actually went back to sleep the fire could’ve went down the wall and trapped us in the bedroom. It would’ve been a whole lot more difficult to get out,” Head told WSVN, explaining the close escape he had from the potential deadly circumstance.
