JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A day after a fire tore through a building at Jacksonville Heights Apartments off 103rd Street on the Westside, city workers walked the property and put up a condemned sign on Tuesday.
There were also people at the property who lost memories in the fire. Melissa Trinidad said she was able to salvage some items.
“We are stilling checking,” Trinidad said. “The smell, the smoke, we just called the insurance and told them it’s really not livable there because of the smell.”
No one was injured, but the fire Monday impacted 12 units and displaced 33 people. The Trinidad family has photos of the some of the damage.
“There is a big hole in the ceiling,” Trinidad said.
The family had renter’s insurance, which will help them recover.
“Last night we stayed at our friends’ house. They offered us a place to sleep last night,” Trinidad said.
The American Red Cross helped families that were displaced. The management company told News4Jax on Tuesday that it was in the process of relocating residents who were displaced “or, at resident request, refunding security deposits and any rent paid in October 2021 to allow residents to seek lodging elsewhere.”
IMAGES: Crews battle Westside apartment fire | RELATED: I-TEAM looks into history of Westside apartment complex where fire erupted
On Tuesday, News4Jax obtained 911 calls that came in as flames and smoke billowed from the apartments on Monday afternoon.
“It’s an apartment complex called Jacksonville Heights, behind Dollar General. There’s a fire, smoke coming out entire building in the apartment complex,” one caller can be heard saying. “It’s like broad daylight when you see it. When you’re on the street, you’ll see it.”
More than 100 firefighters responded to the fire. The state fire marshal and ATF are investigating the cause.
News4Jax on Tuesday also obtained the report from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s last inspection of Jacksonville Heights Apartments. The city’s fire marshal inspected the apartment complex on April 23 and found in Buildings A through N and the laundry room, the owners failed to maintain fire extinguishers and failed to provide the minimum number of fire extinguishers. The fire marshal did a follow-up inspection on May 27 and found all buildings in compliance. So far, there is no connection to Monday’s fire.