Treebecka Park fire contained to one apartment

Press release from Gainesville Fire Rescue

Gainesville Fire Rescue and Alachua County Fire Rescue responded to a reported apartment complex fire at 8:38 p.m. this evening at Treebecka Park apartments, 6400 SW 20th Ave. The resident, who was alerted by their smoke alarm, was able to safely escape.

After exiting the building, the resident reported that “his whole house was catching fire.” Responding crews found heavy smoke visible inside the building and quickly searched the affected apartment and surrounding apartments to ensure everyone had exited safely. Fire crews were able to contain the fire to the original apartment. Crews then remained on the scene, checking structural void spaces to ensure there was no fire extension that may cause further damage. Due to the fire, the homeowner was displaced and received temporary housing assistance from Red Cross. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the risk of dying in reported home structure fires is 55 percent lower in homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or none that worked. Gainesville Fire Rescue would like to remind its residents to install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home including the basement. Residents should check to ensure that all smoke detectors in their homes are working correctly.