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Eight units damaged in blaze at complex
Officials say the fire may have been started by a 4-year-old.
By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published April 5, 2007
TAMPA - A fire in a North Tampa apartment complex damaged eight units and destroyed the belongings of several renters, according to Hillsborough Fire Rescue. Authorities said the fire may have been caused by "fire play" by a 4-year-old inside one of the apartments. The fire began just after 1 p.m. in a first-floor apartment near the rear of the Park Place Apartments, a multibuilding complex at 3132 Lambright St., said fire spokesman Ray Yeakley. The fire quickly spread to a second-floor apartment and damaged other units. Three people, including the child, were inside the first-floor apartment when the fire started, but all escaped uninjured. Further information on the occupants was not available. No one was inside the other damaged apartments, Yeakley said. The Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the blaze, Yeakley said. A team of 30 firefighters brought the two-alarm fire under control in 30 minutes, Yeakley said. He said the complex manager would provide temporary housing for 13 adults and four children at vacant apartments within the complex. The Red Cross will help residents by donating beds, clothing and food, Yeakley said. The apartment complex has been the scene of several fires in recent years, Yeakley said. In November 2005, a firefighter suffered burns on his arms, ears and legs as he put out a small fire there. The cause of that fire appeared to be a candle a resident left burning for four hours. In 1996, a defective fire hydrant caused a delay in extinguishing a fire that damaged eight units at the apartments. No one was home at the time of that fire, which displaced about 16 residents. On Wednesday, traffic slowed along Lambright Street as fire crews worked, snarling traffic as students left nearby Egypt Lake Elementary School. The apartment manager declined to speak with a reporter, citing a pending investigation. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 813 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.
[Last modified April 5, 2007, 06:45:58]
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