CITRUS COUNTY (352today.com) – Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR) responded to reports of a house fire at the same address twice on Monday night.
CCFR was initially dispatched to a structure fire engulfing a one-story home on Monday, August 5, at 10:12 p.m. The home was located on W. Halls River Road in Homosassa.
As they arrived, responders say they found a single-story, 1,800 square-foot wood frame structure that was covered in smoke and flames.
Responders conducted their procedures and operations, but not without having to endure the two feet of water flooding the property as part of the devastation caused by Hurricane Debby.
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The firefighters say they fought through the flooding, calming the fire down and declaring it under control at 10:39 p.m., just over 25 minutes after they were dispatched.
CCFR says they do not know the exact cause of the fire, but they say that they do believe it was accidental.
They then contacted the homeowner, who was not present at the house when it caught fire. CCFR says that the homeowner told them that the house was not insured and was predominantly used as a vacation home.
No other injuries were reported, and the last few units left the property about an hour after the fire was extinguished.
At around 1:37 a.m. the following day, CCFR responders say they were once again dispatched to the same location.
They say the fire had once again engulfed the entire structure, forcing responders to once again have to battle flooding as they set a perimeter around the fire.
Fire operations began and the fire was brought under control at 2:13 a.m.
After notifying the homeowner of the second fire, CCFR claimed the structure to be a total loss with the second blaze taking out much of what was remaining of the house.
CCFR says they do not know what rekindled the fire.