Merritt Island Residence A ‘Total Loss’ Following Fire

By  //  March 6, 2013

Blaze May Have Started In Home's Florida Room

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BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA – A couple was displaced Wednesday afternoon when their home on Merritt Island burned to the ground. 

A home on Merritt Island on Pine Island Road was destroyed by fire on Wednesday afternoon. (Shutterstock image)

Lt. Jeff Taylor of Brevard County Fire Rescue said firefighters were dispatched at 12:19 p.m. Wednesday to a reported structure fire at 885 Pine Island Road on Merritt Island.

While en route to the blaze, Taylor said firefighters reported seeing a column of smoke from more than one mile away.

Upon arrival, crews found a working fire involving the front portion of a one-story, wood frame home.

Because of a long driveway leading to the home, firefighters laid 1,000 feet of supply line from a hydrant forcing the closure of a portion of Pine Island Road near the fire to area residents.

A downed power line supplying the home was a safety concern until secured by FPL, according to Taylor.

With a large portion of the home engulfed in flames and with confirmation that no one was home, firefighters deployed two hose lines in a defensive fire attack.

The blaze was quickly brought under control, preventing fire spread to nearby brush and protecting several cages of parrots and chickens adjacent to the home.  Two dogs, a German Shepherd mix and a Labrador mix, were found in the yard and were uninjured though obviously distressed by the events.

Taylor said the fire has displaced the residents of the home, a married couple, who are now being assisted by the Red Cross.

The home was insured and is considered a total loss.

The residents told investigators they had left the home several hours earlier and returned to find the structure destroyed by fire.

The fire was reported by a neighbor who saw smoke and called 911.

State and local investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.

Taylor said investigators have determined that the fire began at or near a “Florida Room” built onto the front of the home.