Fort Lauderdale Apartment Fire: What We Know So Far

A fourth-floor apartment building fire in Fort Lauderdale was brought under control without reported injuries, and officials say the blaze appears to have started in a storage unit. This is what we know so far.

According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and local reporting, the fire burned through the roof of the building and was contained to a common area, storage unit and the roof/elevator shaft area. Fire officials said there was little, if any, damage inside the apartments, and residents were able to return to their units after the fire was extinguished.

Chief Steve Gollan said crews spent about 45 minutes attacking the fire before calling it under control and containing it to the origin, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. CBS News Miami and NBC Miami reported that the fire started in a storage unit on the fourth floor.

Fire crews responded around 7:20 p.m. and used aerial ladders and hose lines to knock down the flames, according to the reports. Residents evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.

The emergency response included Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and multiple pieces of apparatus, including aerial equipment, which indicates firefighters were dealing with fire extending above the building’s accessible interior spaces and into the roof area. No specific road closures or traffic impacts were mentioned in the available reporting.

Dispatch records show 859 similar structure fires have been reported in Fort Lauderdale over the past six months, underscoring how frequently fire crews are called to this type of emergency in the city.

Investigators are still working to determine what sparked the blaze. Fire officials have not publicly identified a suspect or said whether the fire was criminal in nature.

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