West Manatee Fire Rescue firefighters extinguished a structure fire May 14 at a vacant two-story residential property at 3628 117th St. W., Cortez.
The fire was reported around 6:50 p.m. by a neighbor who saw the house was full of smoke and heard fire alarms.
Multiple units responded to the scene by 6:55 p.m. and searched the home for occupants, finding none in the light haze of smoke that had made its way throughout the home’s interior.
Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to find the source of the fire in a wall near an air handler.
They opened the wall and used water to extinguish the flames.
An investigation found the fire had started in a first-floor closet, but its cause was unclear.
Manatee County property records show the owners as Jennifer and Joseph Robison.
— Ryan Paice