A Wesley Chapel apartment fire that displaced roughly 200 residents Thursday afternoon was caused by a lightning strike, officials said Friday.
Speaking against the blare of distant smoke alarms Friday evening, Pasco County Fire Rescue Chief Ryan Guynn said in a news conference that the Cobalt Apartments off Wesley Chapel Boulevard were condemned after they were deemed a “total loss.” The building, he said, faces a “high probability of collapse sometime in the near future.”
Crews responded to the apartments about 3 p.m. Thursday after receiving calls that a building on Jermyn Loop was on fire, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue. The fire had been burning about 25 minutes before the first 911 calls came in, Guynn said.
Firefighters evacuated the building of roughly 90 units and rescued dozens of animals, officials said. No injuries were reported, but Guynn said six animals still were unaccounted for Friday evening.
Officials used weather reports and Ring doorbell footage to determine that the fire was caused by a lightning strike, Guynn said. While the building poses no threat to neighboring properties, he said, the perimeter has been barricaded off.
Video released by Pasco Fire Rescue showed flames shooting from the roof along the entire length of the building Thursday afternoon.
Fire rescue officials previously said that 400 residents were displaced. By Friday afternoon, that estimate had been reduced to about 200.
The American Red Cross and Pasco County Emergency Management are assisting the displaced residents with “immediate needs” and connecting them to available resources, the fire department wrote on Facebook.
Cobalt Apartments is accepting donations for affected residents, including clothing, toiletries, pet supplies, food and other essentials. Donations can be taken to 4338 Cobalt Brook Blvd.
“Our hearts go out to all the families who were affected by this,” Guynn said.
