Fire destroys 2 homes, damages 2 others in Sanford historic district

Firefighters battle blaze along Oak Avenue at 4th Street

SANFORD, Fla. – A large fire destroyed two homes and damaged two others Tuesday morning in the downtown Sanford historic district, according to officials.

The fire broke out around 3 a.m. along Oak Avenue at 4th Street.

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Fire officials said a corner home went up in flames and the blaze quickly spread to other houses. One home was leveled and another was gutted, fire officials said.

“These are one of those once in a lifetime career fires where you had three buildings involved at once,” Sanford Fire Chief Craig Radzak said. “Multiple exposures and fortunately, we didn’t have any injuries.”

The fire was particularly challenging, Radzak said, because of the historic area.

“Some of these roads aren’t the widest because they were built in the historic era,” he said. “Also, the buildings are constructed of wood frame, which of course is combustible material, ignites and has the exposure potential.”

No injuries were reported.

Several investigators with the State Fire Marshal’s office were on scene Tuesday morning.

Rayvyn Williams, a neighbor, called 911 when the flames started.

“I was worried that there’s people and animals stuck in the house. So, I’m calling 911 letting them know that there might be people in the house. Someone needs to get here immediately and I was almost in tears talking to them on the phone,” Williams said.

The Sanford fire chief said two people lived in a home behind the house that initially caught fire. They were able to safely escape. The Red Cross was called to assist them.

The other three homes were vacant.

Firefighters have blocked off several streets in downtown Sanford.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

[VIDEO BELOW: Sky 6 flies over downtown Sanford historic district]

Check back for more on this developing story.


About the Authors:

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.