Fort Lauderdale Apartment Fire: What We Know So Far

A structure fire on the fourth floor of a Fort Lauderdale apartment building was contained without injuries, and officials say residents can return home tonight. This is what we know so far about the incident.

According to NBC Miami and CBS News Miami, the fire broke out around 7:20 p.m. on the fourth floor of a four-story building at 437 SW 4th Ave. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews reported encountering heavy smoke and flames upon arrival. The blaze was contained to a storage unit and the roof above it, with little or no damage reported to individual residences.

Officials confirmed that all residents evacuated safely and were later allowed to return to their units. No injuries were reported during the incident. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue stated the blaze was brought under control after approximately 45 minutes of firefighting efforts.

Chief Steve Gollan of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said, "After about 45 minutes of attacking the fire, we were able to call it under control and contain it to the origin." Fire officials added in a statement, "Little, if any, damage has been reported in any of the units," and told residents, "Residents should be able to sleep in their own beds tonight."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no suspect information has been released. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue is continuing its inquiry into the incident. While there were no confirmed road closures, dozens of people waited in the street while crews worked the fire.

Dispatch records show that Fort Lauderdale has experienced 859 similar structure fire incidents in the past six months, indicating this is part of a recurring pattern of emergency responses in the area.

Officials plan to release further updates once the investigation concludes. Day.News will continue to update this story as officials release more information.

Related: Structure Fire Contained at Fort Lauderdale Apartment Building on SW 4th Ave