Two cats perish in Inverness fire; no humans injured
Photos courtesy of CCFR; home's front on the left and its rear on the right.
Citrus County Fire Rescue
Inverness, Florida – At 2:25 pm on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Citrus County Fire Rescue responded to a residence located on E. Circle South Drive in Inverness due to a reported fire.
First responders arrived at the location at 2:30 pm to find heavy smoke coming from a double wide mobile home, with heavy fire to its rear, where a wooden deck had entirely burned.
Two handlines were inserted into the home, one by way of the back door, and the other via the front door, while searches of the residence were conducted.
The homeowner informed fire command that all the occupants of the home, other than their cats, had safely evacuated the home. Firefighters rescued one cat from the home, while two cats were found deceased. No injuries to the human residents or firefighters were reported.
The fire was declared under control at 2:52 pm. Crews completed extensive overhaul and mop-up operations, and the last unit cleared the scene at 4:54 pm.
The fire investigation revealed that the fire originated from a burn pit located approximately five feet from the home’s wooden deck. The occupants admitted they'd burned boxes, earlier that day. Despite the efforts of the residents to extinguish the fire with dirt, residual heat ignited nearby grass and the deck, which lead to the structure fire.
The property loss was estimated at $122,241, while to loss of contents was estimated at $81,494.
This event highlights the importance of fire safety practices, including proper supervision and extinguishment of outdoor burns. Please review the required burning setbacks established by the Florida Forest Service at ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/67079/file/2019-Fire-Laws.pdf
IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE, CALL 9-1-1.
Citrus County Fire Rescue
Business Office:
1520 N. Meadowcrest Blvd.
Crystal River, Florida 34429
Non-Emergency Phone:
(352) 527-5406.
Website:
www.CitrusCountyFire.com
Social Media:
x.com/CitrusCoFire and Facebook.com/CitrusCountyFireRescue