A barbecue on a balcony caused a fire in an apartment
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Palm Beach County officials announced Friday the cause of a apartment fire which displaced more than 50 residents earlier this month.
The fire occurred May 2 at the Palo Verde Apartments, located in the 6200 block of Forest Hill Blvd. near Greenacres.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue investigators determined the fire was started by a charcoal grill on a balcony of one of the second-floor apartments.
The contents of the grill had not been fully extinguished after being used to cook food from the previous night, officials said.
The grill then tipped on its side, igniting combustibles on the balcony and spread through an attic to other apartments.
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Six second-floor apartments were damaged by fire and numerous others were damaged by smoke.
One person had to be taken to a local hospital after being rescued from a second floor balcony.
Firefighters from at least three different battalions worked together to bring the flames under control.
The building’s electricity is currently out and it is uninhabitable until repaired.
Palm Beach County Fire Safety Codes related to apartments and condos do not allow anything that requires a flame permitted on a balcony, under an overhang, within 10 feet of a building or anything that can burn .
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