Fire Destroys 18 Storage Units, Causes Evacuation Of Home

CLEARWATER, FL — A storage facility fire in Clearwater Monday destroyed the contents of 18 storage units and forced the evacuation of dozens of homes.

Clearwater Fire & Rescue personnel responded to the fire just after 9 p.m. at the Convenient Storage facility at 1303 N. Myrtle Ave.

First units on the scene encountered heavy flames that were catching nearby trees on fire and sending embers toward houses east of the business.

Firefighters, along with officers from the Clearwater Police Department, evacuated about a dozen homes as a precaution.

The fire quickly grew to three alarms and firefighters from Safety Harbor, Dunedin, Largo and Palm Harbor also responded.

A total of 18 storage units were destroyed and multiple other units were damaged. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Investigators from Clearwater Fire & Rescue, the Clearwater Police Department and the state fire marshal's office are trying to determine a cause.