On Friday March 22, 2024 at 3:20 in the afternoon The Tallahassee Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire. This Fire was not a typical structure fire for our area and is considered “a once in a career fire.” Many of the fires that our department respond to involve single family homes. According to a City of Tallahassee report that was released to the public, This was a four story multi-residential building that was still under construction.
On The Scene
Upon arrival on scene our firefighters noted smoke coming from the four-story structure still under construction. Once our firefighters were able to enter the building they discovered that the fire was spreading through “void” spaces.
According to FireEngineering.com void spaces are enclosed areas that conduct more heat (compromise the integrity of metal support beams, can also increase the dangers of building collapse, and the speed in which the fire spreads.
Due to the spread of the fire onto multiple floors, our fire crews safety was at a higher risk. One floor was already partially collapsed which further complicated the firefighting efforts. Our crews worked on multiple floors including the roof of the multi-residential complex. The crews were able to extinguish the fire after hours of work. According to several social media posts, many off-duty crew members were called in to assist in suppressing the fire.
Property Damage Kept To A Minimum
It is important to note how much of the property and cost that our Firefighting crews were able to save. According to public records, there are four buildings on the property and all are valued around $15 million dollars ($60 million total). The crews prevented the spread to other buildings and greatly reduced the damage to the building that the fire originated from.
Considering the complexities of this fire, we can thank the experience, training, and dedication from our Firefighters. They prevented injury to the public, property, and themselves. At a Town Hall meeting from the previous night, Commissioner Bill Proctor pointed our that fires don’t care about what political party you are affiliated with. We can also conclude fires don’t care if your building is brand new or where you are from. Neither do our firefighters. They showed up in full force despite the current position of the city officials. And they will show up in the same way for the next fire.
According to public records, the property is owned by LMP Tallahassee Property Owners LLC. The Contractor they use to build their complexes is Landmark Urban Construction, Gainesville, LLC.
The City Of Tallahassee press release stated that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Tallahassee Fire Department stated they were assisted on scene by Leon County EMS and the Tallahassee Police Department. This is a common procedure for calls such as this. TPD usually helps to secure the scene safety and direct traffic while EMS typically is present in case of an injury to the Fire Crew.
