CLEARWATER, Fla. — Around 40 units at the Clearwater's Regency Oaks senior living community were damaged late Tuesday by fire, smoke and water, officials said.
What You Need To Know
- Roughly 40 units inside of the Regency Oaks senior living community in Clearwater were damaged by fire, smoke and water
- Some residents are being moved to units in adjacent buildings, while others are being assisted by the Red Cross
- Officials did not report any injuries in the fire
Clearwater Fire and Rescue Division Chief John Klinefelter said the fire broke out inside of an apartment on the fourth floor. The fire was contained to that unit, but dozens of others suffered smoke and water damage.
“I don’t have a timeframe on when they’ll be able to return back," Klinefelter said. "A lot of them it is just that water damage so you have some drywall and electrical damage, but until a contractor digs in and sees how much, we won’t have that answer."
Roughly 60 people are out of their homes after a fire broke out in a unit at the Regency Oaks, a senior living community in Clearwater. No one was injured but a number of apartments are damaged. Some residents were placed in new apartments while the Red Cross helped others @BN9 pic.twitter.com/AF7DmdRHpA
— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) June 8, 2022
Firefighters reported seeing smoke coming from the fourth floor when they arrived on the scene, and they worked to evacuate the residents while power was cut to the building.
“The elevator shut down because of the fire alarm, so they’re in the stairwell coming down as our crews are trying to go up,” Klinefelter said. “Most of the residents are elderly and they’re not moving real fast down the stairs, so that’s the main obstacle that crews encountered when they got here.”
Some residents were moved to units in adjacent buildings, while others were being assisted by the Red Cross.
No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.