South Walton Fire District firefighters responded to a structure fire Saturday evening, July 19, in the area of Thompson Road in Santa Rosa Beach.
The call originated just before 6:30 p.m. when SWFD Dispatchers received a 911 call stating a grill had exploded at a townhome. Responding units noted a column of smoke visible as they approached the reported address.
Firefighters arrived on-scene to find a large volume of fire pushing out from the involved townhome. The fire was also threatening multiple neighboring units. Crews began fire attack from the exterior with water on the fire at 6:33 p.m.
Searches confirmed all occupants had made it out of the units, however one person did require medical care. The patient was in the unit of origin at the time the fire started and had suffered burn injuries. They were treated as a trauma alert requiring air transport due to their sustained injuries.
Crews worked on-scene for several hours Saturday evening fighting the fire and mitigating hotspots. This included use of the ladder trucks for aerial water application as the structure became too unstable for crews to work inside.
Unfortunately, the fire caused a significant amount of damage to the unit of origin. The neighboring units suffered some fire and water damage but were otherwise unharmed.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire and confirmed the grill on the back porch could not be ruled out as the most likely cause.
SWFD thanks all responding partner agencies and extends its heartfelt support to the impacted homeowners.
