ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg Fire Rescue (SPFR) responded to a fire at a two-family home near the 2700 block of 15th Avenue N around 5:50 p.m. on Friday (July 5).
When crews arrived, they saw large black columns of smoke and heavy fire billowing from a rear detached two-story apartment. SPFR said the ground around the apartment was also on fire.
Firefighters noticed the flames were mainly coming from the roof. That's when they called for a second-alarm for backup.
Firefighters worked in heavy rain to extinguish the blaze and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
All residents made it out of the home before crews arrived. The homeowner and a caregiver were treated and released.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.