This story has been updated to include additional information.
Two children, including a 5-year-old, were killed and burned badly early Friday after a fast-moving fire swept through a Palm Bay apartment complex, trapping families and vomiting part of the two-story building. They said a woman had been killed. .
Palm Bay Fire Rescue investigators have confirmed that a 10-year-old boy was killed after flames engulfed a Country Gardens condominium. The 5-year-old and his mother were taken to a local hospital and later transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center’s burn unit.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office was called to investigate the cause of the blaze. Investigators are considering several scenarios, including the possibility that a space heater was involved, Palm Bay Fire Chief John Ringlub said.
The fire was reported around 12:15 a.m. at the Country Gardens Mansion, 1608 Sunnybrook Lane in the city’s northeast, as temperatures outside fell into the mid-40s. Firefighters battled the flames as wind kicked the flames off the unit.
“It was a wind-driven fire,” Ringlub said, noting that weather conditions, including strong wind gusts, made the blaze more challenging.
Palm Bay Police and Palm Bay Fire crews responded to the site within minutes and were able to locate part of the flaming complex. Firefighters worked to quickly contain the fire to one unit.
Investigators said the 9-1-1 caller told dispatchers a family member was inside the home.
“There were people inside,” said Palm Bay Police Department spokeswoman Lt. Virginia Kilmer. Inside the burning structure, two unnamed boys and their mother were trapped until firefighters arrived. The mother is in critical condition at the Orlando Burn Unit, officials said.
Investigation is ongoing.
JD Gallop is a Florida criminal justice/broken news reporter today. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @jdgallop.
