JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A brand-new apartment building that was still under construction in downtown Jacksonville appears to be a complete loss after a massive blaze that kept more than 100 firefighters working through the night.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews from across the city surrounded the new RISE Doro Apartments at 960 E. Adams St. late Sunday night after the first call came in around 9:30 p.m.
JFRD Chief Keith Powers said the fire started on the sixth floor and then burned up through the seventh floor. Firefighters got a handle on the blaze, and around 11 p.m., the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department said that the fire was under control.
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But then around midnight Monday, the fire reignited and smoke could be seen coming from the apartment building again.
“Because of the construction and there are void spaces that are in that construction that are still open, the fire continued to move throughout the building,” Powers said. “We’re trying to keep it from going down a floor and then running back through the building again.”
“You think you have it put out and then it flares up 50 feet down the hall,” Powers said, adding that it’s a fairly common issue when they’re fighting fires in buildings still under construction.
The smoke, which billowed across the St. Johns River for hours, could be seen for miles.
“We would suggest anybody that does have those type of (breathing) issues to stay indoors and try not to breathe the smoke,” Powers said. “The good thing is that we’ve got a real heavy wind that’s kind of blowing it offshore and dispersing it and it’s not kind of settling down in one area.”
Crews initially went inside the 80-foot-tall building to put the flames out floor by floor, but the stairwells aren’t finished and some of the walls became compromised, making it dangerous for the firefighters.
At least one wall blew out during the firefight and debris landed on a nearby firetruck and just missed firefighters. One of the floors of the building likely collapsed as the fire burned, officials said.
“We’re going to be days into this because of all the void spaces that are up there,” Powers said. “Because it’s not safe for us to put personnel inside that means we have to work on it from the outside and that means it’s hard to get to, so I think we’re talking about days.”
Powers said there are 110 firefighters on the scene, which is about one-fifth of JFRD’s staff in the city. There are 12 engines, seven ladders, six rescues and a multitude of support apparatus.
The crews poured up to 5,000 gallons of water per minute on the flames throughout the night and morning.
“Some of the walls that are associated with this building are compromised right now and we’re trying to keep our apparatus and our personnel out of harm’s way should some of those walls start collapsing,” Powers said, adding that collapse is a real possibility.
Powers said there was a shift change around 8 a.m. Monday for the firefighters who had been on the scene since 9:30 p.m. the night before.
JFRD Fire Capt. Eric Prosswimmer told News4JAX that no one was inside the building, as far as they know.
Mayor Donna Deegan said she was grateful that no injuries were reported -- and for the hard work of the city’s firefighters.
“They’ve been doing hero’s work all night long, and they had terrible conditions to work in. It’s very dry, the wind was gusting up to 30 mph. They have been tireless for hours and hours out here and we’re so grateful to them,” Deegan said. “It looks like they’ve still got days of work ahead of them before this is over.”
Powers said there was piping for a sprinkler system but it did not activate. In a 6 p.m. news conference Monday, Deegan explained that the sprinkler system didn’t activate because it was pending a final pressure check during a fire inspection that was supposed to happen this week.
According to RISE Doro Apartments’ website, units in the apartment were available for leasing, with some available starting March 1. Apartments.com listed rent for $1,475-$3,200 with units ranging from studios to two bedrooms. Construction cost an estimated $67 million for the 247-unit mixed-use complex, which has an attached parking garage.
As for residents who were slated to move in, Deegan said the city would work with those who now have to find a new place to live.
Deegan said many questions remain about the cause of the fire, which is being investigated by the state fire marshal.
“A lot of us grew up with the Doro building right there and it was a fixture in Jacksonville for so long and to see the transformation of it to this. Obviously, it was something we were all very much looking forward to,” Deegan said. “Truly this is heartbreaking to see because we were so close. This place was supposed to open up in a month.”
Deegan said Greg Blais, president of RISE, told her that he would like to put the building back up when they can.
“Obviously, we’re a long way from that at this point,” Deegan said.