ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. — A fire broke out at a business center in Anna Maria Island after it was struck by lightning Thursday morning.
The West Manatee Fire Rescue District said crews arrived at the Holmes Beach Business Center, located on Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, around 10:18 a.m. They confirmed that the fire was caused by the lightning strike as it was captured on a nearby building's security camera.
WMFR said the fire was quickly contained and extinguished. No injuries were reported, and the building was evacuated without incident.
One business located in the plaza, Fun and More Rentals, posted on social media that they would be "on a limited operation" until further notice due to the fire.
Officials said the investigation is still ongoing to assess the full extent of the damage.
“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.
