2 Seriously Burned In Merritt Island Fire

Categories: Merritt Island

2 Seriously Burned In Merritt Island Fire

MERRITT ISLAND, Florida — Brevard County Fire Rescue crews responded early this morning to a structure fire in the 900 block of North Tropical Trail on Merritt Island, Florida at 3:12 a.m.

UPDATE: Overloaded Electrical Outlet Likely Caused Merritt Island Fire

First arriving units reported a working structure fire with heavy fire conditions in a single-story, multi-unit apartment building. Two units of the triplex apartment were heavily involved in fire and flames were shooting from the roof.

BCFR spokesperson Lt. Jeffrey Taylor said that due to the advanced fire involvement in the building, firefighters were unable to enter the structure for firefighting operations. Firefighters used a combination of hand lines and an elevated hose stream from a ladder truck to extinguish the fire from the exterior of the structure.

The two units involved in fire were occupied by three individuals each. Two residents of one unit suffered serious burns and were airlifted from the scene and transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center. A third patient was evaluated at the scene but was not transported. The remaining three residents had no injuries and were not evaluated. All residents of the building have been accounted for. Patient conditions have not been provided.

In addition to battling the blaze and caring for injured patients, firefighters also had to be cautious of downed power lines at the scene. Florida Power & Light cut power to the grid around the fire scene, affecting an unknown number of customers for approximately 30 minutes.

Investigators from BCFR and the State Fire Marshal’s Officer are working to determine the cause of the fire. Both units are deemed a complete loss. No damage estimate has been provided and it is unclear at this time whether or not the affected residents were insured.