CLEARWATER - A fire that started in a concealed wall space caused at least $75,000 damage to two Clearwater townhouses Tuesday morning.
Firefighters were summoned to 1532 Chateaux De Ville Court near Nursery Road and U.S. 19, just before 10:30 a.m. after a resident noticed black smoke streaming from the eaves of an adjoining townhome, Clearwater Fire Marshal Joel Gray said.
Fire crews arrived on the scene in five minutes and found the fire had spread through a common wall and had gotten into the attic and roof area, Gray said.
"It had its chance in there to really get its head start," he said.
"And when it finally burned through ... with the breeze that was blowing this morning again, it really took off."
Fire officials upgraded the blaze to a second-alarm fire, bringing about 40 firefighters from three departments to the scene.
They brought the blaze under control about 45 minutes after the first engine's arrival, Gray said.
"You keep chasing it through these concealed spaces," he said.
The cause of the fire had not been determined by late Tuesday, but Gray said the blaze, which started in a concealed wall space above a utility room, did not appear to be suspicious.
The occupants of both units - a husband and wife in one, a single woman in the other - were displaced. They all found accommodations with others and did not need the assistance of the American Red Cross, Gray said.
