A Sunday night fire tore through a building at The Belmont on Jacksonville’s Westside, sending flames through the roof and forcing seven people and a dog from their homes. Several top-floor windows were shattered, and the building was left blackened around multiple apartment openings as crews worked the blaze.
The fire broke out around 7:45 p.m. near 103rd Street and I-295, according to Action News Jax. The Belmont is a 174-unit apartment community, and the reported damage was concentrated in one building.
State Fire Marshal Investigating Cause
One couple told Action News Jax that their apartment was among the destroyed units and that they heard a “loud boom” before the fire began. They were waiting for the Red Cross in their car after being displaced.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue said the State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause, so the reported boom has not been identified as the source of the blaze. Property information for The Belmont lists the community at 5928 Firestone Road and describes 174 apartments across multiple two-story buildings, according to RentCafe.
