Investigation underway as fire damages Pompano Beach apartment building
Pompano Beach, Florida – In the quiet hours of the night, a blaze of considerable magnitude broke out in a residential complex in Pompano Beach, causing residents to evacuate their homes in panic.
The conflagration occurred at the Royal Atlantic Apartments, located at 110 NW 7th Avenue, where inhabitants were startled awake by the deafening sound of fire alarms around 2 a.m., accompanied by the distressing clamor of people’s cries.
Firefighters who responded to the emergency were confronted with a daunting scene: flames were soaring through the roof, and a dense plume of smoke was billowing out of one of the apartments.
The residents recounted their harrowing escape to safety, describing the experience as nothing short of terrifying. Phylicia Eubanks, one of the apartment residents, recalled the chaotic and frightening moments. The residents had to rely on their phone lights and other flashlights to see their way down the stairs because the thick, choking smoke severely reduced visibility. For some residents with respiratory conditions like asthma, the escape was especially terrifying.
Despite the intense conditions, firefighters succeeded in promptly suppressing the fire. However, a fire official confirmed that one or two of the building’s 22 units suffered severe fire damage, and several others experienced smoke damage.
One resident, Michelle Edmund, described her home as a total loss. She recounted the confusion and fear as she smelled the fire, heard the screams, and saw the smoke near her neighbor’s door. In the urgency of the situation, she could only grab her daughter and a few belongings before escaping the burning building.
While there were no human casualties reported, a cat unfortunately did not survive the incident. In the aftermath of the fire, the Red Cross has stepped in to assist the more than 55 individuals who have been displaced from their homes.
The cause of this incident is currently under investigation by the authorities.
