MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A fire tore through a duplex in Cedar Hammock Saturday afternoon, displacing 20 residents.
Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue (CHFR) said there's an estimated $250,000 in damage.
Crews were called to the property on 60th Avenue Drive West just after 1:15 p.m. and arrived within five minutes to find heavy black smoke and flames coming from the building. Three engines, a ladder truck, a battalion chief, and a medic unit responded, with assistance from the Southern Manatee Fire Department, the City of Bradenton Fire Department, and Manatee County Emergency Medical Services. Firefighters launched an aggressive attack and searched the structure, bringing the fire under control within 20 minutes.
No injuries were reported among civilians or first responders. The American Red Cross is assisting displaced tenants with immediate needs.
This is an ongoing investigation.

Florida veteran served in Gulf War loses citizenship fight, fears deportation
A Florida veteran who served in the U.S. Marines during the Persian Gulf War has lost his federal court case in his decade-long fight for U.S. citizenship — and now faces deportation to a country that may no longer claim him.