SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Concerns about the structural integrity of buildings within a Lake Mary apartment complex prompted the evacuation of 85 units, Seminole County officials updated reporters Wednesday.
The update came a day after county officials said they were working to address “life safety concerns” at the Pebble Creek at Lake Mary apartment complex, located at 780 Creekwater Terrace.
“Two of the buildings were found structurally unsafe,” said Chris Patton, Seminole County’s director of communications. “And so that’s 16 units a piece.”
Patton said that the other impacted units are in buildings where building inspectors found problems with the stairwells.
“Stairwells were coming away from the wall,” Patton explained. “Stairs were uneven. And that’s all because of structural damage.”
[BELOW: Over 20 people forced out of ‘unsafe’ Seminole County apartments, officials say]
Patton said the discovery of the structural damage stems from a fire in late February, when he said apartment maintenance employees were performing “unpermitted” repair work on one of the stairwells.
He said that firefighters ended up notifying the county’s buildings division about issues beyond just fire damage.
“The incident caused smoke to impact multiple units and required Seminole County Fire Department crews to open parts of the building to ensure the fire had not spread,” a release from the county Tuesday read. “A follow-up review raised broader safety concerns about the building.”
The release said that deficiencies were further identified related to “egress and overall life safety,” including stairwell conditions and other structural elements.
Patton said that 16 of the 85 units were vacant.
Seminole County announced on Tuesday night that Emergency Management and the Red Cross were on site to help residents with immediate needs and coordinate support services.
Many residents have also been able to relocate to other available units in the complex, the release revealed.
Management with the apartment complex have not returned News 6’s requests for comment.