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The fire at a Safety Harbor assisted living center displaces five.
By MONIQUE FIELDS
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 24, 2000
SAFETY HARBOR -- A discarded cigarette caused a fire that gutted an assisted living facility Sunday evening and sent five elderly people to other area centers, Richard Brock, Safety Harbor's fire marshal, said Monday.
"It was an accidental fire caused by careless smoking," Brock said. "I found cigarette butts in what was left of a trash can at the scene of the fire."
The fire started in a closed bedroom and festered. When a resident checked the room and found the fire, the door was left open, allowing the fire to spread quickly, Brock said.
The blaze sent one woman to Mease Countryside Hospital, where she was treated and released, he said.
When firefighters arrived at Harbor Heights Assisted Living Facility, it was engulfed by heavy flames. Smoke was pouring from the front and back of the house. It took firefighters from three cities 30 minutes to control the fire, and Brock estimated the house sustained more than $75,000 damage.
"I'm just heartsick about it, but what can I do?" said Andrew Stigaard, the owner of the house. "I have to decide the pros and cons and look at the damage."
The house had undergone a fire inspection as recently as July 7, but Brock said he was not aware of any fire code violations.
Stigaard, who also owns Brer Fox Colonial ALF in Dunedin, said he couldn't comment on whether he would rebuild until he spoke with Brock, his attorney and the couple leasing the house and the assisted living business.
Four elderly residents were inside the concrete-block, single-story home at 2235 Glen Drive when the fire began. The fifth was visiting family.
Agency for Health Care Administration records show that five people were affiliated with the six-bed facility. Three of its clients were day care residents who received health, social or therapeutic care but did not reside at the facility. Two others lived at the facility 24 hours a day, said Pat Glynn, a spokesman for the agency.
An assisted living facility has been located at the site for about 10 years. It was licensed to Harriet Rodriguez on July 31. Since its opening, no complaints about the facility had been filed with Agency for Health Care Administration, Glynn said.