Blaze destroys two apartments near University of south florida

By CASEY CORA, Times Staff Writer
Published October 9, 2007

The remnants of a car fire may have spread to an apartment complex near the University of South Florida early Monday, destroying two apartments and prompting the evacuation of dozens of the building's residents, Hillsborough fire officials said.

About 5 a.m., Matt Belton said he heard a neighbor scream that the roof of his second-floor apartment was on fire. Fifteen minutes later, Belton, 21, said the flames engulfed his apartment at Stone Creek Pointe.

"It was small, then got real big," said Belton, a geography major at USF.

Fire crews initially went to the condominium and rental community located off E Fletcher Avenue near N 52nd Street about 3 a.m.

They were responding to a nearby Ford pickup truck that caught fire in the parking lot, said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley.

After extinguishing the truck fire, Yeakley said, fire crews inspected a block of eight apartments for possible damage. Using thermal scan equipment to detect temperatures on the roof, Yeakley said fire inspectors reported safe conditions.

Fire crews left, only to return about two hours later.

Two units were destroyed, Yeakley said. Four had smoke and water damage. Two units were largely unaffected.

Residents from all eight units are displaced indefinitely. All were offered housing help from the American Red Cross, but everyone refused, he said.

Although the cause of the apartment fire remains unclear, Yeakley said, it's possible it spread from the truck fire. The cause of the truck fire is under investigation.

No injuries to residents were reported, but Yeakley said one firefighter suffered possible heat exhaustion.

Emma Makdessi, 19, a USF junior, said the commotion from the truck fire caused her to leave her place and stay with a friend nearby.

But sirens and lights brought her back outside about 5 a.m. Her next-door neighbor's place was ravaged by shooting flames. Her's wasn't. "I guess I got lucky," she said.

Others weren't so fortunate.

Keith Mason had fire rip through the ceiling of his apartment. Early Monday, friends helped pull out what items could be saved. It wasn't much.

[Last modified October 8, 2007, 23:01:48]