Fire at FL Senior Apartments Leaves One Dead

Barry Rutkowski said he was leaving a friend's home about 2 p.m. Friday at the Silvertree Senior Apartments when he saw people running and yelling about a fire in another unit.

Then he saw flames blazing in one of the apartments at the complex at 3937 Spring Park Road and joined others to see if they could help.

"There was a man sitting on an easy chair, on fire!" he said. "It seemed like half his body was on fire. Then somebody yells out,' 'He's got oxygen in there! Everybody get back! There could be an explosion!'"

The neighbors backed off as the entire apartment became engulfed in flames, with firefighters arriving quickly and running inside to battle the fire, Rutkowski said.

They were too late, despite the quick response, fire department Capt. Eric Prosswimmer said.

"Crews en route noticed heavy black smoke and we also had a report of somebody possibly inside," Prosswimmer said. "... They found somebody inside. That person was too far gone to save at that point."

Dozens of firefighters were on scene at the unit on the south side of the complex next to Little Pottsburg Creek in the Englewood community, blocking Spring Park Road for part of the afternoon. The apartment was extensively damaged, with multiple windows smashed out, Prosswimmer said.

The state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the blaze, with no official cause determined yet, Prosswimmer said.

___

(c)2021 The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Visit The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) at www.jacksonville.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.