Residents still displaced after apartment fire in Collier County

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez
Published: Updated:

Mike Soles is one of 32 people displaced after an apartment fire Sunday morning.

“We were in the unit itself; we were sleeping,” said Soles. “We were in the unit directly in front of the unit behind us upstairs in the crawlspace, between our two units is where this fire started. In that, according to the to the firemen on the scene, that’s where it happened.”

Soles, his daughter and her mom live in one of the damaged units at the River Reach Apartments in Collier County.

“We were all sleeping. And we’re then woken up by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, who had to pull the fire alarm minute because it wasn’t operational at the time,” added Soles. “Apparently, it was manually set off by the fire department, and the sheriff’s offices are the folks who got everyone out. Otherwise, we don’t know what might have happened. We really don’t.”

They’re currently staying at a hotel but don’t know what happens next. He said they hope to hear something from River Reach, but they’re ready to move someplace else.

“The only thing we heard from them at this point, or I’ve personally heard from them, is some emails in regards to a statement they made that everyone was okay. And everybody made it out. But as far as anything else is concerned, I heard what the plan of action is going forward, what they intend on doing,” said Soles.

WINK News met Tania Dery on Monday. She’s still at a hotel but just got clearance to go back and get her stuff. She’s moving to a different unit this weekend.

“I have water damage in my master closet and in my master bathroom that was coming from all the hoses from the fire department,” said Dery.

Greater Naples Fire said the fire was accidental but is still under investigation. WINK News also talked to someone at the River Reach office, but they weren’t able to share any details about where people are staying or what happens next.

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