BROOKSVILLE — A suspected lightning strike caused a fire at an apartment complex in Brooksville on Wednesday, Sept. 9, Hernando County Fire Rescue said.
The agency responded to the Authentix Suncoast apartment complex at 432 Coast Drive at around 5:45 p.m. for a reported lightning strike to an apartment building, with occupants reporting smoke in multiple apartments and fire alarms activated.
Firefighters arrived to find smoke inside multiple units of a 24-unit building.
An aggressive fire attack revealed fire between the first and second floors of two apartments. Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire while simultaneously evacuating theremaining 20 units of the building.
The fire was brought under control within 45 minutes of the first arriving units.
The apartment complex has a total of 24 apartment units in the building, with 21 occupied at the time of the fire. Thirty-four occupants had been displaced overnight because power to the entire building was disconnected.
Authentix Suncoast management was working with residents to find housing overnight until residents can safely return to unaffected apartments.
A total of four apartment units sustained fire, smoke and/or water damage, resulting in long-term displacement.
No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters.
The cause is believed to be a lightning strike, though the investigation remains ongoing.