Morning fire damages Cortez home

Firefighters knock down smoke and flames from the front rooms of a burning home at 4408 123rd St. W., Cortez, Nov. 19. According to a news release from West Manatee Fire and Rescue, firefighters encountered fire on arrival and initiated an exterior attack before moving inside. The home was a total loss. Islander Photo: Courtesy WMFR

A plume of smoke rises with the sun over Cortez, as seen by motorists traveling east over the Cortez Bridge the morning of Nov. 19. Firefighters, including crews from West Manatee Fire and Rescue, Cedar Hammock and Bradenton fire departments and Manatee County Emergency Medical Services responded to flames and heavy smoke at a house on the village’s east side. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Islander Photo: Courtesy Krista Carpenter

Two firefighters direct a hose stream into the attic and roofline of a burning home in Cortez as smoke pushes through the structure on Nov. 19. Early morning darkness and wind complicated initial fire suppression efforts, but crews contained the fire. Courtesy WMFR

Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowsi, left, Deputy Chief Jay Johnson, center, and Battalion Chief Ryan Moore, the incident commander. converse outside a charred home at 4408 123rd St. W., Cortez, after fire crews extinguished a predawn blaze on Nov. 19. Crews worked to stop the fire from spreading to nearby properties and remained on scene for overhaul and investigation. Islander Photo: Robert Anderson

WMFR and Bradenton Fire Department crews doff and lay out gear along the roadway after extinguishing a residential structure fire in Cortez on Nov. 19. According to an WMFR report, a single occupant and a dog were rescued from the building without injury. Islander Photo: Robert Anderson