Naples home catches fire twice; Red Cross helps 7 people, including 3 children

The local American Red Cross responded to a house fire on Texas Avenue in Naples to help seven affected people, including three children.

Late Tuesday night, Red Cross volunteer members of the Disaster Action Team from the Florida Gulf Coast to Heartland Chapter responded to a home fire. They helped coordinate emergency aid to seven people.

Greater Naples Fire Rescue crews were already at the scene, putting out the fire and making sure everyone got out of the home safely.

According to the Public Information Office for the Greater Naples Fire Rescue Department, the home was a rental.

With little to no damage, the families were told it might be safe for them to go back into their home.

But on Wednesday morning, at around 6:44 a.m., the fire department was called back to the home on Texas Avenue as another fire had sparked. This time much worse.

It left these families with nowhere else to go.

“It’s a lot to handle, not everything has clicked in yet but it’s definitely a lot to handle,” said Yadira Rodriguez, the eldest daughter to the family who lived on the second floor. “Especially as it came out of nowhere.”

The PIO said no one was inside the home during the second fire, but the house was a total loss.

“Oh my god, that’s the thing because I lost everything,” said Karol Noel, a family member who lived on the first floor of the home.

According to investigators, the first fire was determined to be accidental-electrical. While the second fire was deemed undetermined, as there were multiple possibilities that could have caused the second fire to occur.

“They’re saying it was something with the power box, that it just exploded, overheated, something,” Rodriguez said. “We’re not really getting anything out of them. We’re just waiting to get something.”

Crews on scene said they believed the second fire also might have started from a downed powerline on the property.

No injuries were reported, and while the two families have food, water and a place to stay for the next week thanks to the Red Cross, they know it’s not permanent.

“The most important thing right now is knowing everyone is fine, nobody is hurt, we’re all fine,” said Rodriguez.

“I thank god because I was not inside,” said Noel. “If I was inside, I would have lost my life.”