Firefighters from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) responded to a fire at the Florida Blue building located in the Brooklyn area of Riverside Avenue. The incident, which occurred yesterday, was said to have started in the building's elevator shaft. Traffic in downtown Jacksonville was impacted as authorities closed Riverside Avenue to address the situation, Action News Jax reported.
Further details from First Coast News indicated that the 500-600 block of Riverside was shut down for about two hours. The JFRD has stated that thankfully, no injuries were reported from the incident, even though the fire caused a temporary disruption of normal activities around the downtown area.
According to News4JAX, the building was evacuated as a safety measure, and crews worked diligently to clear the smoke that had spread through the premises. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office advised that the most affected would be the stretch of Riverside Avenue from the 500 to 600 block.
Normalcy returned to the Florida Blue building area around 7 p.m., with traffic resuming as Riverside Avenue was reopened. News4JAX photographers were at the scene, confirming the road closure had been lifted and, the site was clear of emergency vehicles and personnel.
