2 inmates, 2 deputies evaluated after fire on Lee County Jail rooftop

Firefighters and law enforcement responded to a fire Wednesday evening at the Lee County Jail complex on Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers.

Smoke could be seen billowing from the jail’s rooftop.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office tweet, “At 6:45 p.m., flames were seen from the rooftop of our CORE jail facility, 2501 Ortiz Boulevard, Fort Myers. Fire crews arrived and put out a minor electrical fire. Two inmates and one deputy are being medically evaluated. Inmates were temporarily relocated.”

Two deputies and two inmates were evaluated and medically cleared. LCSO said Thursday the deputies are back on duty and the inmates have been taken back to jail.

Families with loved ones stood outside and watched flames and black smoke plume from the top of the jail, hoping everyone inside was OK.

The sidewalk across the street from the jail was full of people, including Martricia Bowman, who was watching the scene unfold. Every day, she tells her son in jail she loves him.

“I kept saying Dennis, Dennis, Dennis, and he wasn’t saying anything,” Bowman said. “The phone just dropped, and I heard everybody screaming and hollering and saying, ‘Man, let’s go. Drop the phone man. Come on, man. Come on, man. Come on, man. You can’t breathe. Come on. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go.’”

Bowman raced to the jail to find a hectic scene of black smoke, deputy cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

“My son, I’m just terrified about my son,” Bowman said.

“I just hope my son is OK, and everybody is OK, not just my son, but everybody is OK. Everybody.”

At 6:45pm, flames were seen from the rooftop of our CORE jail facility, 2501 Ortiz Boulevard, Fort Myers. Fire crews arrived and put out a minor electrical fire. Two inmates and one deputy are being medically evaluated. Inmates were temporarily relocated. pic.twitter.com/OizMlz9r19

— Lee County Sheriff (@leesheriff) May 20, 2021