The first crews arrived at 1:27 a.m., 10 minutes after being dispatched.
MCFR assigned 4 water tankers to the scene in a desperate attempt to quell the flames.
39 firefighters and 8 fire suppression units worked together to extinguish the fire, before calling it under control. The structure had been evacuated around the time of the fire, and all occupants escaped unharmed.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation.
The cold temperatures did nothing to deter the thousands that turned out Monday morning for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march, a more than one mile sojourn from the downtown square in Ocala to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex.
The Arc Marion has received a special subgrant to expand its access to digital literacy training for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Orange Blossom Gardens Lions Club presented Lady Lake-based nonprofit LovExtension with a $6,000 donation to support local outreach to seniors and the disabled.
The Villages Democratic Club will hold twin roadside demonstrations on Jan. 20, 2026, the first anniversary of the start of Donald Trump’s second term.
