Bradenton apartment complex fire causes $1 million in damage, officials say

A three-story apartment building caught fire on Friday afternoon and is estimated to have caused over $1 million in damage, according to the Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue District.

Four agencies responded to the fire at the Coral Club Apartments, located at 5920 36th St. W., and according to a news release, the agencies arrived on scene just over two minutes after they received notification of the fire.

Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue, Southern Manatee Fire Rescue, the City of Bradenton Fire Department and Manatee County Emergency Medical Services arrived to find heavy fire and smoke emerging from the back side of the Coral Club’s Building K. Smoke was pouring out of all three levels of the front side of the building as well, according to the release.

Six fire engines, two ladder trucks, two battalion chiefs, two ambulances and one district chief responded to the fire, according to the release.

Fire crews “immediately began an aggressive fire attack,” according to a news release, and searched all residential units. Only one person reported minor injuries, the release states.

Multiple pets were rescued from the building, according to the release. However, Marc Massella, fire marshal with the Cedar Hammock Fire Control District, told the Bradenton Herald that there was one pet fatality.

The fire, which started around 1:30 p.m., was extinguished within 30 minutes of the first responders’ arrival, officials say.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives Investigations.