2 displaced after lightning-suspected fire at Wilton Manors apartment complex
Residents of a Wilton Manors apartment complex are trying to salvage what they can after an early morning fire tore through their building, possibly sparked by lightning.
From the street, the front of the building appears untouched. But behind the walls and roofline, the damage tells a different story. Crews spent Wednesday morning patching up a large hole left in the roof after smoke filled the attic.
Joshua Read, who lives in one of the units, said the chaos began around 3 a.m.
"We heard a loud boom," he recalled. "I thought it was just a storm. We laid our heads back down to go back to sleep and about three to five seconds later, we started to smell something burning."
Read quickly called 911 as smoke began filling the home along Northeast 11th Avenue and Wilton Drive.
Fire brought under control in about 30 minutes
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said crews were able to knock down the fire in about 30 minutes.
"If we had slept through it or gone back to sleep, the fire could've come back down the wall and trapped us in the bedroom," Read said.
Both people inside the unit escaped unharmed.
Investigation remains ongoing
By mid-morning, Wilton Manors code compliance officers and roofing companies were on site, covering the damaged roof with a tarp. But for Read, the emotional toll was setting in.
"I'm really discouraged right now. It's kind of depressing," he admitted.
Fire officials are still investigating whether lightning caused the blaze.