WEEK OF OCTOBER 16, 2024
VOLUME 40, NUMBER 42
Home lost in post-Milton accident Wind whips grill flames into fire By NATHAN MAYBERG
nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com
A home on Avenida Pescadora went up in flames Thursday night while a homeowner began grilling a day after Hurricane Milton hit Fort Myers Beach. The town had reopened earlier in the day to residents following an evacuation order three days earlier.
According to Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Chief Scott Wirth, the homeowner told fire officials he had turned on the grill and was working on prepping food when he saw flames out of control rising from the grill. The homeowner attempted to put the fire out himself but was unsuccessful, Wirth said. When firegfighters arrived at approxi-
mately 6:50 p.m., the fire was fully involved. Wirth said windy conditions — strong winds that were still lingering a day after Hurricane Milton — contributed to the fire moving quickly through the home. Though firefighters had the flames under control within 15 minutes, the wind kept the blaze from being completely put out until about four hours later. Wirth believed the house would be a
total loss, with large chunks of the home consumed by the blaze. There was only a single occupant of the house and no injuries were reported to either the homeowner or any of the firefighters who responded. Wirth said the department has responded to fires in similar conditions where wind exacerbates the situation. “The wind conditions take a regular See FIRE, page 11
Fire Chief: Proactiveness made for quick return By NATHAN MAYBERG
nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com
Gut Punch Hurricane Milton floods homes, taking furniture and appliances two weeks after Helene By NATHAN MAYBERG
nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com
Fort Myers Beach residents returning to their homes over the weekend after facing a mandatory evacuation due to Hurricane Milton, found up to four feet of water and muck had impacted their homes, leaving appliances, furniture and belongings damaged or destroyed. Walls and cabinets that had been repaired from Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Helene were now in need of further repairs, while some wondered aloud how many more hurricanes they could take after the third major hurricane hit the island in two years — four if counting Idalia last year. Piles of debris, refrigerators, washing machines, debris and furniture lined up roads after Hurricane Milton sent about six
“We were prepared. We appreciate how the residents reacted. We had a plan in place.” — Andy Hyatt, Town of Fort Myers Beach manager feet of storm surge down the roads of Fort Myers Beach residents still recovering from Hurricane Helene two weeks earlier and Hurricane Ian two years earlier. Former Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy, who just moved back to the island in July after losing his home to Hurricane Ian, said his new rental home “was trashed.” Murphy said there was “two to three feet of water” in the house. He took a lot of his belongings out ahead of time but said the house is currently uninhabitable.
“I lost some stuff but not as much as Ian,” he said. A friend, Gary Mathis, helped him save his bed. Murphy said he is now looking for a new place to live. “I'm not going back to that house,” See HURRICANE, page 14 The Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club shed was washed away off their Sterling Avenue property into the canal by Hurricane Milton. PHOTO PROVIDED
Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Chief Scott Wirth said a new system used by the fire district before Hurricane Milton in conjunction with island residents evacuating, saved a lot of doors and shortened the window between the hurricane and when residents could return. “The fact that everybody evacuated and then let us know they had “The community evacuated and their was proactive. It house was clear helped us help thoroughly short- them.” ened what we — Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief would have to do if Scott Wirth we had to do search and rescue,” Wirth said. “The community was proactive. It helped us help them.” In the days before Hurricane Milton struck, the department asked the public to contact them to let them know their home would be vacant during the storm so that it wouldn’t be searched after the storm. More than 1,000 people notified the fire department by email and through phone calls that they had left their home or would be leaving. That meant 1,000 fewer properties the department didn’t need to check up on after Hurricane Milton and allowed firefighters to quickly conduct safety checks after the hurricane passed to make sure nobody was in danger. After Hurricane Ian, search and rescue teams were forced to knock down many front doors and break windows as they searched for survivors. Not knowing which homes had been evacuated and which ones hadn’t prolonged the search See QUICK RETURN, page 11
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