ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 More than 300 people are displaced from their homes after dangerous cracks inside an apartment building forced an emergency evacuation early Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
Thursday night, you can see a sign on the apartment leasing office window stating \u201cDanger\u201d. Orange County deemed the building unsafe.<\/p>\n
Residents at the Rialto Apartments on Sand Lake Road were ordered out after officials say a frantic 911 call around 5 a.m. revealed signs the building may be unstable.<\/p>\n
On scene, you could see people rushing out of the building, dragging suitcases and carrying trash bags filled with their belongings\u2014many unsure when, or if, they\u2019ll be able to return.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not every day you wake up and your place is caving in,\u201d said resident Gabriel Santos.<\/p>\n
Arlina Aguirre, a nurse, had just returned home from a long shift and gone to bed when firefighters knocked on her door around 5 a.m.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire department told me I had to get out,\u201d Aguirre said. \u201cI tried to open the door\u2014I couldn\u2019t. They had to break my door so I could get out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Photos taken by residents show large cracks forming near doorways and exterior siding falling off the structure.<\/p>\n
Orange County officials later released nearly 70 images showing similar damage across multiple units.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw obvious signs of fresh cracking through the drywall on the first floor,\u201d said Gilbert Mercado, Orange County deputy chief building inspector. \u201cIt got progressively worse as we went up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials say they still do not know how stable the building is as of Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
9 Investigates reviewed hundreds of inspection records and permits dating back to when the building was constructed in 2014, and there were no major red flags.<\/p>\n
County records indicate there were no active code compliance issues before Thursday.<\/p>\n
Fire officials say their last inspection in September did not reveal visible structural instability, though they confirmed there was a violation that has not yet been re-inspected. They have not disclosed what that violation involved. The Fire Department said at the time, there were no obvious signs of structural issues.<\/p>\n
Property records show the building has been owned since 2017 by a Massachusetts-based developer and management group, Northland.<\/p>\n
In a statement sent Thursday evening, the company said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working closely with city officials and emergency responders as we assess the situation at The Rialto. We are actively working to assist our residents in finding accommodations for the next few days as we determine next steps. We recognize this as an inconvenience and are doing all we can to support them.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the company has not answered our questions of when they were first aware of potential structural issues or whether there were warning signs such as cracking, shifting, or unusual noises before the evacuation.<\/p>\n
As of Thursday night, displaced residents are trying to figure out where they will stay in the coming days.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, officials continue to assess the building\u2019s structural integrity and determine what caused the damage.<\/p>\n
Click here<\/a> to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here<\/a> to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.<\/p>\n