Fire marshall investigating W. Harvard St., Inverness fire; 2 dogs perish
Inverness, Florida - At 8:20 pm on Thursday, July 13, 2023, Citrus County Fire Rescue responded to a W. Harvard St., Inverness residence due to a reported fire. The caller reported to dispatch that he/she heard someone screaming, saw a large amount of smoke coming from the roof, and also stated that the occupant had gone back inside the home.
Deputies arrived at the single story residence to find heavy smoke coming from the eaves. Engine 5 from the Hernando Fire Station began an interior attack through the front door, with a pre-connected hoseline, and found extremely heavy smoke conditions causing zero visibility. The Engine 8 crew searched for the origin of the fire, and also to check for occupupants inside the home. A burning mattress was located in a bedroom, behind a closed door. The mattress fire was extinguished while crews continued to search for occupants inside the home, and also for any extension of the fire.
No human victims were found during the searches. However, three dogs were located, two of which were deceased. The homeowner arrived on scene, about 9:20 pm. The power company secured the utilities, and the home was ventilated to clear it of smoke. The fire was brought under control as of 8:51 pm, and the last unit cleared the scene at 1:08 am (July 14). The interior of the residence sustained approximately 60% in damage. No injuries were reported. The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire.
Firefighters from the Hernando, Highlands, Floral City, Kensington, and Connell Heights fire stations responded to the scene, along with a Safety Captain and a Rescue Unit from the Highlands Fire Station.
Citrus County Fire Rescue can be contacted 24/7 in an emergency within Citrus County, Florida by dialing 911. For regular business, call Citrus County Fire Rescue at (352) 527-5406. For information about Citrus County Fire Rescue, visit www.CitrusCountyFire.com, Twitter.com/CitrusCoFire, or Facebook.com/CitrusCountyFireRescue.