Fire claims the life of elderly woman in NE Ocala

Photo supplied from Ocala Fire Rescue of NE home following fire that claimed the life of one elderly woman on April 25, 2024. [Ocala Fire Rescue]

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to reflect OFR accessing the closest hydrant on the scene after the obstacle was removed, rather than the second closest one 650 feet away as previously reported.

An elderly Ocala woman perished in a house fire April 25, the cause of the fire remains under investigation and the victim’s identity has not been released.

Records show Ocala Police Department’s 911 communications center received at least two calls about a neighbor’s house located at the 2600 block of Northest First Avenue being “up in flames.” The first call came in at approximately 11:22 p.m.

Ocala Fire Rescue Chief Clint Welborn said the fire had likely already spread to a dangerous level by the time of the 911 call. According to call and dispatch records, within 22 seconds of receiving the call, the 911 call taker had the address, and by 11:23 p.m., OFR had been dispatched. At 11:24 p.m., dispatch alerted first responders that an elderly woman lived in the house and still may be inside.

Ocala Police Officer Cole Chancey was first on the scene, arriving nearly a minute after the call came in. He reported the house was “halfway engulfed” and that he received no response to attempts to contact any possible occupants on the east side of the house. At 11:26 p.m., Chancey reported the house was fully engulfed in flames.

OFR firefighters were notified at 11:34 p.m. they should evacuate the structure for safety reasons but crews continued to battle the flames from outside. According to a media release, battalion chiefs 22 and 11 maintained command “at the front and rear of the home, respectively.”

Welborn told the “Gazette” the initial source of water to fight a fire is always the fire engine, which he says holds 780 gallons of water. The downed powerline temporarily blocked access to the nearest hydrant, but crews were able to connect a hose so that when engine 3 ran dry at 11:35 p.m., there was a secondary access to water.

At 11:44 p.m., firefighters reported finding one victim. Three minutes later, OFR is alerted that a second female victim and child could potentially be inside. Crews performed a secondary search and found no one.

The elderly woman’s family began arriving at 11:58 p.m. as OFR crews continued to battle the fire.

“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshall’s Office. Ocala Fire Rescue’s Prevention Division, the Ocala Police Department, and Marion County Fire Rescue also responded. Ocala Fire Rescue extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim during this difficult time,” the release said.

Welborn reiterated that the public needs to be reminded to have working smoke alarms in their homes that are loud enough to waken occupants when they are sleeping.