Morning fire on Longboat spreads into attic

First-responders from Longboat Key, Sarasota County and Manatee County extinguished a fire Thursday morning in the 5300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive in an incident that prompted commanders to close the two-lane thoroughfare for a short time.

Spokeswoman Tina Adams of Longboat Key Fire-Rescue said crews arrived at the two story, eight unit beachside residential unit at 5311 GMD to find smoke coming from an upstairs unit.

She said a resident reported hearing a pop from a microwave oven and went to tell complex management. When they returned with maintenance personnel, they noticed smoke and called 9-1-1.

Firefighters evacuated the building and discovered fire had spread into an attic.

Fire Chief Paul Dezzi responded to the scene, along with two battalion chiefs, Longboat Key’s Truck 91, three engines from Sarasota County, a rescue unit and a unit from Manatee County. A Sarasota County rescue truck additionally took up a position at the town’s southern fire station for coverage.

Adams said the call was received at 9:31 a.m. and the last unit left the scene about two hours later.

No one was injured.

Longboat Key police briefly closed both lanes of Gulf of Mexico Drive and reopened one lane for the duration of the incident. All lanes reopened around 11:15 a.m.