While most of America was sleeping, residents in Florida were scurrying around the neighborhood as they tried to deal with a fire that consumed a century-old house in Winter Park. The fire erupted at approximately 5:30 a.m. and fire crews rushed to the scene to douse the flames. The man who escaped the fire was not severely injured, but experienced emotional trauma as he watched all of his property for up in flames. It took the firefighters extra time to start fighting the fire because they had to connect to water and access to fire hydrants is not common in this neighborhood. The home burned to the ground in the process.
Allegedly, the flames began on the front porch of the residence. Homeowner Jerry Murtha says that he rushed outside with a hose to try and douse the flames, but was unsuccessful in doing so. Instead, he only made the fire worse. Because the home was so old, it was in a neighborhood that had not updated their fire hydrant codes. This means that the nearest hydrant was over 1,200 feet away, causing serious complications. In newer neighborhoods, it is illegal to build homes so far away from fire hydrants.
Because the home was not within the legal distance of a fire hydrant, this man may have the right to sue the city for violating building codes. If a fire hydrant had been closer to his home, the firemen may have been able to save the residency from burning to the ground. The homeowner has now lost most of his possessions and the legacy of his historic home. If your house was burned in a tragic fire like this one, and you were injured or you experienced emotional trauma and psychological illnesses like depression as a result, then you may be able to obtain damages. Talk to a Miami personal injury attorney today at Klemick & Gampel for more information!