Residents escape 2 house fires in Orange County

Arson investigators called to home in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. – Two homes in Orange County erupted in flames Wednesday night in the area of 41st Street and South Orange Blossom Trail. 

Helmana Placid was one of the residents able to escape. She told News 6 she heard a loud "boom" right before her home caught on fire.

"Everything is gone. I don't have nothing, no food, no money," Placid said. 

Placid said she ran out and yelled out for help. She says she tried using a hose to put out the flames, but it was too much to handle.

"I said help me, help me," she added.

When crews arrived, her house was fully engulfed. Firefighters say the flames then spread to the home next door where two adults were staying. 

Fire officials said the flames spread due to a pile of trash between the two homes that was ignited by the fire.

An Orange County deputy was hurt during the call and was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.

The deputy recovered and was released from the hospital. The Red Cross was called out to assist the victims. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

 


About the Author

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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