FORT MYERS, Fla. — A fire at a Fort Myers apartment complex left several displaced Saturday evening. Fox 4's Bella Line spoke with the Fort Myers Fire Chief, Tracy McMillion, who says the fire started from a roof work accident.
"This building here, basically is totally gone," said Lester Bond, a resident. "I heard sirens and then when I looked outside, I saw a bunch of police officers and fire attendants."
A fire at The Retreat at Vista Lake off Winkler Avenue and Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard in Fort Myers has now left several without a home.
ORIGINAL REPORTING:
Several displaced after apartment fire in Fort Myers (fox4now.com)
Lester Bond has lived at the apartment complex since 2019 and says he is a former firefighter from the Caribbean so he's used to seeing scenes like this.
Watch Bella's full report below.
"That half of the building is still intact, but it's water-damaged due to the firefighters," said Bond.
He told Fox 4 roofers had been working when the fire broke out and the Fort Myers Fire Chief Tracy McMillion confirmed an accident from roof work was the cause.
Bond says they have had multiple contractors come and go, but as a former firefighter, he says he thinks it could happen again if the right precautions are not taken.
"My advice is that they do it in a proper way, whereas the electrical is off, as well as there are no tenants inside the apartment," said Bond.
Chief McMillion told Line that residents can stay proactive against emergencies by following these steps:
- Make sure your smoke detectors are working
- Take videos of homes and apartments often for insurance claims
- Sign up for the Fort Myers Community Connect website to quickly communicate with first responders in case of an emergency
Fox 4 has reached out to the Red Cross and tried to get ahold of the property management to find out how the tenants of this building are doing, but have not heard anything back yet.
