Palmer Ranch fire displaced residents overnight

UPDATE: Displaced residents were able to resturn to their homes Thursday.

The Sarasota County Fire Department received a call about a fire at 4634 Mirada Way in Prestancia Tuesday evening at 6:56 p.m. Station 14, located at 8821 South Tamiami Trail, was the first to arrive on scene at 7:03 p.m.

Firefighters observed smoke from the second and third floors at the northern section of the four-story townhouse, Villa Mirada, and flames coming from one window, said Captain Jerry Jensen, public information officer for the fire department.

Around 50 residents were evacuated from the building, and Sarasota County Area Transit brought in buses to hold the displaced residents while the fire department put out the fire, Jensen said.

The fire was put out quickly, and the department identified the kitchen in one of the residences as the source. Firefighters saved 75 percent of that apartment, Jensen said.

“It was a quick knockdown,” he said about the speed of extinguishing the fire.

No one was injured, but there was some smoke and water damage, he said.

Electricity was restored to the southern section of the building, and those residents were allowed to return to their homes, Jensen said. However, 15 to 20 residents living in the northern section were unable to return last night because the cause of the fire was still undetermined. The American Red Cross accommodated them for the night, Jensen said.