ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A fire that destroyed DJ Johnny Magic’s house this weekend is believed to have started in a chimney and spread from there, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.
Public information officer Mike Jachles said it appears the fire Friday night on French Oak Drive began in a chimney after an outdoor fireplace was being used. From there, the flames spread.
The 30-year Orlando DJ and his family made it out of the home safely.
[RELATED: Well-known morning DJ in Orlando loses house to fire | ‘He doesn’t know all the people he’s touched:' Johnny Magic co-workers provide support for famed Orlando DJ ]
Close friends, family and people all over Central Florida are showing support for the radio veteran.
“He’s such a giving person and seeing what happened is so heartbreaking,” Carmen Burnett said.
Burnett, the director of Baby DJ Incorporated, knows Magic well and can’t stop raving about his genuine personality and how much he’s given to her nonprofit aimed at making sure no child or family ever has to go without.
“He would give the shirt off his back to anyone,” Burnett said. “Throughout the year, he’d call me and say, ‘Carmen there’s a family that needs this,’ and I’d jump on it immediately.”
Laura Lockner had great things to say about Magic too. She's the director of Runway to Hope nonprofit.
“Johnny has always been involved with Runway to Hope when it comes to our hospital patient days, and he volunteers with the kids with pediatric cancer,” Lockner said.
Attorney Mark Nejame is Magic’s good friend. He said Magic is overwhelmed by all of the community support he received.
“What has touched him so profoundly is the outpouring of support and love in the community that he’s given so much to," Nejame said.
Magic’s coworkers told us he may return back to work at 106.7 as early as Wednesday.
Jachles on Monday stressed fire safety tips, especially as the area prepares for a cold front that could lead to more people using space heaters and fire places.
He offered the following tips, courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association.
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment such as the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
- Have a 3-feet “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for the fuel burning space heaters.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover the damage at the XL 106.7 host’s home. So far, more than $47,000 has been raised.