Space Heater To Blame For Beachside Fire

Daytona Beach, FL - Four adults have been displaced after an early morning fire engulfs a beachside Daytona home. Sasha Staton, the public information officer for the Daytona Beach Fire Department (DBFD), said firefighters were called to the fully engulfed Flamingo Avenue residence around 1:30 in the morning. Multiple units were called in order to get control of the large fire while protecting the nearby houses and two RV’s that were parked on the side. The four adults living in the home were able to evacuate on their own with no injuries. The Red Cross has since been called to assist them. After their investigation, firefighters determined the cause of the blaze to be an unattended space heater that began to malfunction on the second floor of the home. The house—built in 1920—suffered extensive damage and was labeled a total loss. Chief Dru Driscoll, Fire Chief and Deputy City Manager, wants to remind residents to practice space heater safety by never leaving it unattended, plugging it directly into a wall outlet instead of using an extension cord, and by keeping the heater at least three feet away from anything flammable.