ENGLEWOOD — Fire crews from Charlotte County and Englewood battled a fire that consumed a house on Knight Island on Saturday.
Fire crews from Charlotte County Fire Rescue and the Englewood Fire Department battled a house fire Saturday on Knight Island.
ENGLEWOOD AREA FIRE CONTROL DISTRICT
The fire call came in at 1:04 p.m. for a home on Kettle Harbor Drive, and crews from Charlotte County Fire & EMS were dispatched, according to reports.
Fire trucks were ferried from Cape Haze to the bridgeless barrier island.
“Crews arrived to find the home fully involved in fire with significant structural damage. Due to the extent of the fire and unsafe conditions of the structure, crews operated defensively,” said Ashley Turner, public information office for Charlotte County Public Safety, wrote in an email.
A Charlotte County fire boat responded and provided an additional attack from the water, allowing crews to reach the fire from multiple sides, Turner said.
Two Englewood fire trucks responded for mutual aid to the island by ferry from Cape Haze, according to Todd Dunn with the Englewood Fire Department.
One Englewood firefighter suffered a minor injury and was transported to a hospital for evaluation and later discharged.
Two other people refused medical treatment.
Two cats were inside the home at the time of the fire. The homeowners were able to get one cat out safely. The second cat did not survive.
The fire caused extensive damage throughout the home, Turner said. Portions of the roof and multiple sides of the residence collapsed, with one side completely collapsed. The remaining structure was leaning and unstable, creating conditions that prevented crews and investigators from safely accessing portions of the home, Turner said.
Charlotte County Fire & EMS and the State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Turner thanked a neighbor of the home on Knight Island who opened their home to provide a place for crews to cool down and rest before returning to operations.
Video shows a home on fire on Knight Island in Charlotte County.
ENGLEWOOD AREA FIRE CONTROL DISTRICT