JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local Brentwood business building was gutted Tuesday night by a blaze that firefighters believe was sparked by fireworks that landed on the roof.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said the call came in about the building on Woodbine Street near North Pearl Street around 10 p.m. Tuesday as fireworks were still popping off for the Fourth of July in the surrounding neighborhood.
The fire was showing through the roof when firefighters arrived, but firefighting efforts were slowed because of safety concerns, JFRD said. Those concerns were over visible cracks in the building itself and the still erupting fireworks around the area.
Firefighters said the fire started on the roof, but there’s no way to tell whose fireworks might be responsible because so many were going off in the area at the time.
They said they didn’t know if anyone was inside the building leading up to the fire, but no injuries were reported.
The building is considered a total loss.
It’s unclear if the building is currently occupied by an active business. Duval County property records show the building belongs to Southern Charm & Beauty LLC, which purchased the property in 2021. But the sign on the front of the building still belongs to the previous occupant, used car dealership Auto-Sib.