Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR), Lakeland Fire Department, and Auburndale Fire Department responded to a two-alarm residential structure fire on Combee Rd N in Lakeland on March 15, 2024.
Crews were dispatched at 4:58 p.m. and Engine 39 arrived first on the scene less than a minute later. On arrival, Engine 39’s crew found a heavily involved structure with fire through the roof in an approximately 11,000 square feet two-story abandoned residential structure. Based PCFR’s pre-incident preplanning, the structure was identified as high-risk for firefighter injury with a secondary risk of “intentional compromise”.
The initial arriving team quickly got water on the fire within minutes and attempted a brief interior attack and primary search, then within minutes, were directed to switch to a defensive operation by incident command due to the heavy fire and risks.
One PCFR firefighter was transported from the scene to a local medical facility. No occupants were found in the structure. However, crews continue to conduct a secondary search.
Lakeland Fire Department’s Tower 15 responded to a mutual aid structure fire call from Polk County Fire Rescue.
The approximately 11,000-square-foot two-story abandoned residential structure was heavily involved upon PCFR’s arrival. Smoke was seen for miles throughout the city.
Tower 15 provided an aerial attack supplementing Polk County Fire Rescue and Auburndale Fire Department’s efforts. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and the Florida State Fire Marshal is on scene. #PolkFLFireRescue#StructureFire#ResidentialFire