ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – A elementary school-aged child was killed in a fire early Wednesday at an apartment complex in Altamonte Springs, fire officials said.
The fire broke out around 1:20 a.m. at Goldelm at Charter Pointe on Ballard Street near Ronald Regan Boulevard.
The Seminole County Fire Department said firefighters arrived and found flames shooting through the roof of a building, affecting 12 units.
After getting the fire under control, crews found the child dead in a second-floor unit, officials said.
Seminole County Public Schools said the child attended Lake Orienta Elementary School in Altamonte Springs, but no other information about the child or his or her family have been released.
Officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
“The fire-detection system could have been overwhelmed and actually burnt, but we don’t know if there were any active smoke detectors here,” SCFD Chief Matt Kinley said.
Uriah Frisby, who lives in the building that caught fire, said he first heard screaming.
“Then I heard an explosion, like a loud bang,” he said. “I opened my door and the neighbors, who their house was on fire, were basically telling me, ‘Hey, can you help, can you help, can you help?’”
Frisby said he grabbed her daughter and left because the fire was near his door.
“Hearing that somebody passed away, it’s hurting my heart because it could have been me,” Frisby said. “It could have been my daughter.”
More than 70 firefighters battled the blaze.
A team from the American Red Cross arrived on the scene to help people around 4 a.m. They will assist those who lost their homes, but it’s unclear how many people total are displaced.
“We want to make sure that if they need anything, whether it’s recovery assistance, whether they need emotional support services, that we are here for them,” said Duhane Lindo, Regional Communications Manager of American Red Cross of Central Florida.
No other details have been released.
We’re on the scene of breaking news in Altamonte Springs. @scfdpio says a child is dead after a fire at an apartment complex off Ballard St. 12 units have been damaged and firefighters say initial reports are there were no smoke detectors. pic.twitter.com/9Tvox6AIFS
— Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) April 3, 2024