Two homes burn, displace families
By Scott Fusaro [email protected]
Two pregnant women watched their homes burn as a pair of trailers in the Lower Keys burned in early morning hours a day apart this week.
The first fire occurred on Helen Avenue on Little Torch Key at 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, followed by another Thursday at 5:25 a.m. at the Summerland Trailer Park on Summerland Key, according to county Fire Marshal Bill Surina.
The families were displaced. Information on assistance they are receiving was not immediately available.
Surina said that due to the nature of the homes, "the type of structure allowed [the fires] to burn very, very quickly," said Surina.
Both fires likely were caused by electrical problems, said Surina.
In the Wednesday fire, "The owner awoke to the smell of smoke, got his wife up – who was eight months pregnant – got her out of the house," Surina said.
He did not identify the victims. Fourteen firefighters in six vehicles from Big Pine, Sugarloaf and Big Coppitt keys responded, he said.
The next day, George Lennon awoke to smell of smoke, and in another room, saw a portion of wall on fire, Surina said. Lennon woke his seven-months-pregnant wife Suzanna and they escaped, said Surina.
He said both trailers were "complete and total loss[es]," with damages of about $125,000 and $45,000, respectively.
Tuesday, the Montego Bay restaurant on Big Pine Key burned. The cause of that fire is undetermined, he said, and will likely remain so "unless some other extracurricular evidence develops, but that is very unlikely."
Surina said there was no connection between any of the fires.
"People start to ask when you have a lot of fires in a short period of time, and bottom line is there’s no connection between any of them," he said.
By Scott Fusaro [email protected]
Two pregnant women watched their homes burn as a pair of trailers in the Lower Keys burned in early morning hours a day apart this week.
The first fire occurred on Helen Avenue on Little Torch Key at 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, followed by another Thursday at 5:25 a.m. at the Summerland Trailer Park on Summerland Key, according to county Fire Marshal Bill Surina.
The families were displaced. Information on assistance they are receiving was not immediately available.
Surina said that due to the nature of the homes, "the type of structure allowed [the fires] to burn very, very quickly," said Surina.
Both fires likely were caused by electrical problems, said Surina.
In the Wednesday fire, "The owner awoke to the smell of smoke, got his wife up – who was eight months pregnant – got her out of the house," Surina said.
He did not identify the victims. Fourteen firefighters in six vehicles from Big Pine, Sugarloaf and Big Coppitt keys responded, he said.
The next day, George Lennon awoke to smell of smoke, and in another room, saw a portion of wall on fire, Surina said. Lennon woke his seven-months-pregnant wife Suzanna and they escaped, said Surina.
He said both trailers were "complete and total loss[es]," with damages of about $125,000 and $45,000, respectively.
Tuesday, the Montego Bay restaurant on Big Pine Key burned. The cause of that fire is undetermined, he said, and will likely remain so "unless some other extracurricular evidence develops, but that is very unlikely."
Surina said there was no connection between any of the fires.
"People start to ask when you have a lot of fires in a short period of time, and bottom line is there’s no connection between any of them," he said.
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