Fire at Piccadilly Apartments affects 16 units

Press release from Gainesville Fire Rescue

At 2:35 a.m. on June 30, Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) crews were alerted to a low-rise commercial structure fire at Piccadilly apartments, 2220 SW 34th St. On arrival, crews found fire from the coming from the roof of a two-story apartment building.

Crews from GFR stations 4, 2, and 9 and Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) Engine 80 made an initial fire attack before being augmented by additional crews from GFR station 1 and ACFR SQ23. All occupants were able to self-evacuate. GFR crews were able to stop the fire from moving to additional apartments and stop the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings. In total, 30 firefighters were committed to the fire attack. Incident Commander Sean Campbell and Division Chief Ron Thomas credited the quick actions of the crews, the close proximity of the hydrant, and the building being constructed with a fire wall for limiting the damage.

GFR would like to remind our neighbors that candles may be pretty to look at, but they are a leading cause of home fires — and home fire deaths! Extinguish all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep. Keep candles at least 1 foot away from anything that can burn.

The fire affected 16 apartments. One occupant was transported to UF Health Shands for respiratory distress by ACFR, and two dogs were transported to UF Health Small Animal Hospital by Gainesville Police for follow-up care; all are listed in stable condition. No firefighters were injured during the operation. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.