Longboat fire damages Sutton Place condominiums

A two-alarm fire damaged at least two condominiums Thursday in a four-story Longboat Key complex, according to officials.

The blaze, which started around 6 p.m., engulfed at least one unoccupied unit at Sutton Place Association Inc., said Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi. No injuries were reported.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they tried to connect a firehose to a standpipe in the building. But the conduit, designed to pump pressurized water through the building, was leaking and could not be used, Dezzi said.

“This is something we’ve trained on in the past,” Dezzi said in an interview. “If we can’t rely on the standpipe, go ahead and extend that ladder.”

So firefighters did just that. The ladder was equipped with a hose and nozzle to get pressurized water to the fourth floor condominium. Emergency responders forced open doors looking for the source of the fire.

Rescuers were able to access the fire from open balconies in the units, Dezzi said. Thirty five personnel put out the fire within 30 minutes, Dezzi said.

At least two apartment were damaged by smoke and fire — water seeped through the structure, damaging units all the way to the bottom floor. Dezzi said the damage could be in excess of $500,000. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.