Photos: Fire Rips Through Apartment Complex

Several residents of Tampa’s Puritan Place apartments are without homes following a Wednesday morning blaze that ripped through the complex.

According to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, crews were called to the scene at 7903 Holly Lea Court just before 10 a.m. The first crews to arrive made entry into a ground-level apartment and found flames extending into the upper apartments and attic space.

Firefighters performed a search of the affected apartments and “made a quick knock down on a majority of the fire,” the agency reported in an email to media. “All residents were evacuated and no injuries were reported.”

While the blaze was brought under control rather quickly, it took firefighters several hours to fully extinguish the flames, which had spread into the floor, walls and attic space, the email noted.

The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, the agency stated. A total of eight homes were involved and one was vacant at the time. Three units have been deemed a total loss while the others suffered some damage from smoke and water.

The Red Cross is stepping in to help displaced residents with food, housing and clothing, the fire department noted.

Photos courtesy of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue

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