Coquina Key House Fire: What We Know So Far

A house fire in St. Petersburg’s Coquina Key area left one 18-year-old woman dead, two others hospitalized and prompted an arson investigation, according to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and local reporting.

Fire crews responded around 3:30 a.m. and found a single-story home engulfed in heavy flames with four people still inside, according to FOX 13 and IONTB. Officials said the fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes.

One 35-year-old woman suffered serious burn injuries and remained hospitalized in stable but serious condition, according to local reports cited by FOX 13, Tampa Bay 28 and Patch. Two minors were transported for smoke inhalation treatment and later released, those reports said. A 10-year-old girl was evaluated and reported unharmed, according to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue reporting cited by FOX 13.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said the cause was deemed suspicious and the fire was being treated as a criminal investigation. St. Petersburg Police later said the fire was arson and asked the public for information, according to Tampa Bay 28. Later reporting said police charged 18-year-old neighbor Charles Chambliss III in connection with the fatal fire.

The response drew fire crews to a fully involved structure fire, a level of urgency consistent with reports of people trapped inside and heavy flames. The involvement of both fire rescue and police indicates the scene moved quickly from emergency suppression to a criminal investigation.

Dispatch records show more than 20,000 similar structure fire incidents in the past six months, underscoring how often fire crews respond to these calls, though this case stands out because of the fatality and arson probe.

Police and fire officials are expected to release additional details as the investigation continues, including any charging updates and the condition of the hospitalized victims.

Day.News will continue to update this story as officials release more information.

Related: Structure Fire Draws Emergency Response to 5155 Coquina Key Dr SE in Saint Petersburg