11 Displaced After Apartment Fire at Mandarin Lakes in Jacksonville

Early Morning Flames at Mandarin Lakes Apartments Force Eleven Residents Out

An early morning fire struck the Mandarin Lakes apartment complex at 11001 Old St. Augustine Road on Thursday, displacing 11 residents and damaging 12 units across three stories, news4jax.com reported.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department received the call at about 8:11 a.m., according to actionnewsjax.com. First-responding crews encountered heavy flames spreading across the second and third floors, prompting commanders to call a second alarm and dispatch a total of 35 units to the scene. Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 30 minutes.

JFRD Chief Percy Golden II stated that a 25-pound propane tank on a second-floor balcony ignited during the incident, intensifying the flames. Investigators have not yet determined what the propane tank was being used for or what caused the fire to start.

Nearly a dozen displaced by Mandarin Lakes fire

Displaced Residents Flee Burning Apartment Building

Kelsie Lisner moved into her apartment in July. She and her boyfriend are now without a home after waking up to the sound of frantic banging and people yelling warnings through the building.

“In that moment, that’s when banging on my door happened and yelling, ‘Get out, there’s a fire,’” Lisner said.

11 Displaced After Apartment Fire at Mandarin Lakes in Jacksonville — Photo: actionnewsjax.com

She managed to grab her dog before evacuating but could not rescue her cat. Later, she watched smoke pour through her bathroom vent. Firefighters ultimately rescued multiple pets from the burning building and re-entered affected units to retrieve essential medications for residents, according to JFRD.

When officials allowed Lisner to assess the damage, she learned her apartment was soaked and reeked of smoke. Officials informed her that the unit was a total loss.

Nearly a dozen displaced by Mandarin Lakes fire, resident, firefighter taken to hospital https://t.co/aBSfUQPXJd

— https://x.com/ActionNewsJax/status/2118382964828524580

“Once I was told yesterday that it was a total loss, that’s when denial was kind of leaving and everything else in the stages of grief followed suit,” Lisner said.

Red Cross Assists Eleven Displaced Residents

Medical personnel evaluated one resident at the scene for smoke inhalation. One firefighter was transported to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, Chief Golden reported.

The American Red Cross is assisting the 11 displaced residents with finding temporary shelter. Meanwhile, coworkers of Lisner launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her replace ruined belongings and memories. The fundraiser collected $1,220 from 16 donations by Saturday.

“The community has been nothing short of a blessing,” Lisner said, adding that any funds exceeding her personal goal will go toward helping other residents impacted by the fire.