Unincorporated Fort Myers neighborhood comes together after house fire

A neighborhood in Fort Myers is working together to address the safety of their streets after a home burned to the ground Monday afternoon.

MORE: South Fort Myers home a total loss after fire Monday

The nearest fire hydrant from the home was 1500 feet away on Fountain Avenue.

The county says the neighborhood can submit a petition to tax themselves to get on the county’s water system, but the neighbors say they think they are already taxed enough and want the county to chip in before another tragedy strikes.

Monday afternoon, smoke filled the Florimond Manor neighborhood and shut down streets for hours. The family’s home was totally destroyed in the fire.

“A lot of people have come forward with clothes, donations,” said Ryan Gerber, a neighbor in Florimond Manor.

A lot of people are now bringing up issues they are having with potholes, vegetation overgrowth and fire safety.

“You don’t want a to have a nice new house and a completely busted down road right in front of it. Nobody wants it,” Gerber said.

Firefighters had to navigate to find accessible roads and string 1500 feet of house line to the nearest fire hydrant.

Ryan Gerber has lived in the neighborhood off Plantation Road for nearly a decade. It sits in an unincorporated part of Lee County, so he and his neighbors have to pay out of pocket to patch up potholes and add features like fire hydrants.

Lori Carlson who lives nearby says she’s mostly concerned about the safety hazards.

“I’ve never felt more unity than back here. It’s a nice community of friends,” she said.

For now, they are all coming together to do what they can to help.

South Trail Fire Department says the cause of the fire is still under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious.