A fire broke out at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday, prompting a two-alarm response from fire and emergency crews who had the flames contained by around 7:30 p.m. The blaze was limited to a maintenance and office area of the sprawling Gulf Boulevard property, and no major disruption beyond the immediate area was reported.
St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue responded to the reported fire at the resort, located at 5500 Gulf Boulevard, according to WFLA. Other fire and emergency agencies joined the response to the structural fire, per a city statement reported by 10 Tampa Bay. Fire rescue crews worked to extinguish the fire, which officials confirmed had been contained by around 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening.
Fire Initially Appeared Tied to a Pickleball Court
According to a spokesperson cited in the 10 Tampa Bay report, the fire initially appeared to be located at a pickleball court on the property before firefighters determined the flames were actually at the structure itself. City officials said the fire was ultimately limited to a maintenance and office area of the resort. St. Pete Beach officials urged the public to avoid the immediate area if possible while crews worked the scene.
The city also asked residents to steer clear of the area and give emergency personnel the space they needed to complete their work safely, per the same account from WFLA. No cause has been determined for Sunday's fire, and it remains unclear whether anyone was injured.
Resort Has Seen Fire Trouble Before
This is not the first time the TradeWinds Resort has dealt with a fire scare. In July 2022, a fire at the resort prompted evacuations, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Bay News 9 reported that an air-conditioner duct fire was behind that earlier incident, with fire departments from St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and St. Petersburg responding and evacuating the fifth and sixth floors of the building.
Accounts of that 2022 fire differ on whether anyone was hurt. The Tampa Bay Times reported at the time that no injuries were reported and that the fire was under investigation, while Bay News 9 reported three minor injuries. Neither outlet's account can be verified against the other, and the circumstances of Sunday's fire are separate from that 2022 incident.
