House fire rips through Bokeelia home

Reporter: Jolena Esperto
Published: Updated:

A raging fire has ripped apart a two-story home in Bokeelia, leaving a man homeless.

The fire was reported at around 11 a.m. Thursday. When crews from the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District arrived, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the first and second floors.

The flames reached 30 feet above the roof, according to Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Davis. Firefighters arrived just a few minutes after the fire started and brought it under control.

One man, the owner of the home, was home at the time. He was on a ladder on the back side of the house, and he was injured in the fire, but he is expected to be all right.

We spoke with the man who lost his home, but he said he was not in the headspace to speak because he had just lost everything.

Shortly after, the fire marshall told us the cause of the fire was an accidental electrical event,
and it was fueled by the flammable material the owner was working with while he was working on his home.

A lot of people were concerned about him. Several friends and family showed up.

Thursday evening, a mom and two children came home and said they lived on the first floor. They had their backpacks on and were dropped off after school by a friend.

They had heard about the fire, but this was the first time they saw the burnt house. They are currently checking on their things.

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