DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A 1920s beachside house was destroyed in a fire sparked by a space heater, Daytona Beach fire officials said.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. Monday on Flamingo Avenue.
Fire officials said the house was engulfed by flames when firefighters arrived, but they were able to get the blaze under control and keep it from spreading to the house next door and two RVs that were parked nearby.
Four adults living in the house were able to safely escape. The Red Cross will offer assistance to the victims.
Firefighters determined the cause of the blaze was an unattended space heater that malfunctioned on the second floor of the home.
“During these nights where we are experiencing colder temperatures, Chief Dru Driscoll and the Daytona Beach Fire Department would like to encourage residents to practice space heater safety by never leaving a portable heater unattended, plugging it directly into a wall outlet instead of using an extension cord and by keeping the heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn,” fire officials said in a news release.