10 Residents Displaced, 1 Dog Dead In Lutz Apartment Complex Fire
Just the other night out in Lutz, Florida, at the Turtle Creek Apartments community, a huge fire broke out, and caused significant damage. The three alarm fire, which happened on Thursday July 25th, has left families displaced along with one dog being killed. Leaving the community in complete shock.
The fire reportedly started right before 4:30pm and spread quickly setting multiple units a blaze at the Turtle Creek Apartments. People who witnessed this rare three-alarm fire described what they saw as “surreal,” with the fire flames spreading quickly throughout the units and heavy clouds of smoke billowing into the sky. Firefighters were called immediately, and it took them over an hour to put out the flames.
Shout out to the Hillsborough Fire and Rescue for their quick response to the community fire. The blaze was contained before it could spread to the other buildings in the area. Firefighters battled the flames while also working hard to make sure the residents were safe, while also putting a stop to any further damage. The cause of this fire is now being held under investigation.
The fire made a big impact on the residents of Turtle Creek Apartments. Many have been displaced, 10 to be exact have lost their homes and belongings in the fire. Officials say 12 home units and 25 people were impacted by this and a dog lost its life unfortunately.
One resident, Nancy Ackerman recounted her experience by saying she “heard knocking, and I opened the door. Fireman said you need to evacuate.” She continued with “I jumped up, got my purse ran out.” Ackerman had four cats. The firefighters rescued one, another got out on its own and two are still missing.
The fire at Turtle Creek Apartments has without a doubt left an enormous impact on the Lutz community. We hope that the residents who were displaced are in good spirits and importantly have a safe place to stay as the community rebuilds and makes way for a safer resilient future.