NORTH CAPTIVA, Fla. — A house on Upper Captiva Island was destroyed after catching fire twice on Tuesday. Neighbors and fire officials suspect a golf cart may have been the cause.
Fox 4's Bella Line spoke with the fire department's division chief about the fire. Click to see the video:
Line was the only reporter on scene when the first fire broke out. She saw the dramatic transformation the house went through; from a standing building to complete rubble within hours.
Original reporting:
NEIGHBORS: Upper Captiva house fire reignites, multiple fire crews responding
Becky Rosenberger, who lives next door to the destroyed property, watched in disbelief as flames erupted for a second time.
"My thought was, I don't, there's not electricity in that house anymore and I watched it for a few minutes and then I saw the flames come from that light and it just, it just took over," Rosenberger said.
Rosenberger says her grandson Trevor Casey spent the night continuously spraying their house with water to prevent the fire from spreading.
"Obviously protecting our house was my main thought," Casey said.
Line asked Upper Captiva Division Fire Chief Dan Garretto if they were monitoring the property.
"From what I understand, everything was checked thoroughly but with the wind out here on the island it just happens," Garretto said.
Garretto said that a golf cart may have been the source of the fire. He warned island residents about charging practices.
"If you are charging a golf cart of some sort, try to pull it out," Garretto said.
Golf carts serve as the primary mode of transportation on Upper Captiva. The fire has prompted discussions about where people store and charge their vehicles.
"I think people are just going to have to change their way of living and keep their golf carts out away from the house," Rosenberger said.
She praised the community response to the emergency.
"That's the kind of island we have, it's just wonderful," Rosenberger said.
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