ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg Fire Rescue (SPFR) responded to a fire at a two-family home near the 2700 block of 15th Avenue N around 5:50 p.m. on Friday (July 5).
When crews arrived, they saw large black columns of smoke and heavy fire billowing from a rear detached two-story apartment. SPFR said the ground around the apartment was also on fire.
Firefighters noticed the flames were mainly coming from the roof. That's when they called for a second-alarm for backup.
Firefighters worked in heavy rain to extinguish the blaze and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
All residents made it out of the home before crews arrived. The homeowner and a caregiver were treated and released.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
