ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The American Red Cross provided shelter to several families Sunday evening after they were forced out of their homes by a possible lightning strike.
Nearly 12 units at the Buena Vista Place Apartments at 8902 Buena Place were damaged. Five of them remain uninhabitable, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.
“We live right there on the second floor. And we heard a loud noise, and all the alarm systems started going off,” said Carmen Garcia, a neighbor who lives in the complex. “And then they just told us to evacuate the building. Everybody just started running out.”
Fire crews were already on scene responding to another fire before shifting to a nearby building where flames were spreading. One neighbor suffered minor injuries while trying to rescue a pet. A firefighter had to be treated for heat exhaustion and is reportedly in good condition.
Battalion Chief Robert Izzo said nearby storms possibly caused the fire.
“There was a high possibility that it could have been a lightning strike due to the amount of storms and lightning that were in the area,” Chief Izzo said.
The State Fire Marshall is working to determine the official cause of the fire.
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