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Fires strike two residential complexes in East Hillsborough

 
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews responded to a report of fire in the 500 block of Golden Raintree Place at the Hamptons Condominium Complex at approximately 2:10 a.m. Tuesday. 
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews responded to a report of fire in the 500 block of Golden Raintree Place at the Hamptons Condominium Complex at approximately 2:10 a.m. Tuesday. 
Published May 11, 2017

PLANT CITY — Before she saw the flames, before the smoke permeated through the windows and became embedded in her belongings, before her walls were ruined with water damage, Cindy Overstreet heard the voices of the neighborhood children:

Fire. Fire. Fire.

The noise interrupted the quiet weekend afternoon Overstreet was having with her family last Saturday (May 6). She was at home with her boyfriend, Mike Persails, and her children when she heard the yelling.

She ran outside of her second-floor Plant City apartment. Her next-door neighbor's balcony had gone up in flames.

"People were trying to put the porch out," Overstreet said. "But it was huge. We grabbed our dogs and our kids and got out."

As neighbors and fellow Madison Park residents worked on the flames, Overstreet took her children and ran to the complex's nearby leasing office. Standing next to the vending machines, the family watched as the fire filtered from their neighbor's porch and to the attic.

Plant City Fire Rescue received the call at 3:56 p.m., according to Deputy Chief David Burnett. Lakeland Fire Department, Polk County Fire Rescue and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded as mutual aid units.

"We kept thinking, 'It's going to go out, they're going to put it out," Overstreet said. "But then it got to the roof."

The Plant City fire was one of two residential fires that recently occurred in East Hillsborough. Early on Tuesday (May 9), fire struck the Hampton condominiums in Brandon.

In the Plant City fire, the majority of one apartment roof had been burned away by the time firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Next door, at Overstreet's apartment, the ceiling of her son's bedroom had caved in. Burned and wet ceiling pieces covered her couch, her daughter's bedspread, the fruit bowl on the dining room table.

By the end of the day Saturday, 10 apartments had suffered either fire or water damage. Representatives at Madison Park Road said that 30 people had been displaced, including 15 children.

While some residents, like Overstreet, found shelter with nearby family members, the Red Cross was called to provide hotel lodging for the affected families. Four of the units are uninhabitable and will need to be fully rebuilt, while the other six units need remodeling.

The six units that need to be remodeled will be ready for residents within 30 to 60 days, according to the apartment complex.

"We're working to get them housing here for the time being," said Bethany Glass, a leasing agent for Madison Apartment Group. "We should have enough availability. We're working to make sure those temporary apartments will be move-in ready for those who can't move back in."

The complex's leasing office at 2120 Village Park Road has become a makeshift donation drop-off for victims of the fire. Apartment neighbors and Plant City residents have dropped off dishes, blankets and clothes. Because the complex cannot accept monetary donations, residents are encouraged to either drop off items, or to provide financial assistance to the victims through a business or fundraising effort.

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A car wash will be held for the families from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday (May 13) at the Tire Shop of Plant City, 1604 N Wheeler.

Burnett said that the cause of the fire was due to the "careless discard of smoking material."

•••

Meanwhile, a two-alarm fire destroyed eight condominiums in Brandon early Tuesday.

Firefighters, responding just after 2 a.m. to The Hamptons complex at the 500 block of Golden Raintree Place, found heavy smoke and fire coming from the roof of the two-story building.

The building was evacuated, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, and it took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents, officials said.

No injuries were reported, officials said, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Times staff reports were used in this effort. Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.