A Thursday night blaze at Berkley Pointe Apartments in Ocala sent firefighters scrambling, displaced a family, and left a cat with one of its nine lives slightly singed but intact.
Ocala Fire Rescue responded to 2869 NE 7th St. around 9 p.m., finding thick black smoke billowing from a first-floor unit. Crews from Engines 2, 3, and 5, along with Rescue 5, Tower 1, and a battalion chief, sprang into action.
Firefighters from Engine 5 pushed through the smoke-choked living room, battling flames at the back of the apartment, while Engine 3 attacked from the outside. Their tag-team approach kept the fire contained to the room where it started.
Meanwhile, Rescue 5 performed a primary search and emerged victorious with the family’s cat, which was presumably unimpressed by the sudden turn of events.
Adjacent units were evacuated, and once the fire was out, crews checked for lingering hot spots. Investigators determined the cause was electrical.
One adult, two children, and their freshly rescued feline were displaced. No injuries were reported, though an occupant from an unrelated unit was transported to a hospital for precautionary reasons.
The Ocala Police Department, Fire Prevention Division, Building Department, Ocala Electric Utility, and Marion County Fire Rescue also responded to the scene.
While the fire department took care of the flames, Ocala Electric likely had a few words with the apartment’s wiring.
