A fire Saturday night at an assisted living facility in the 700 block of South Beneva Road sent one patient to HCA Florida Blake Hospital by airlift, according to reports from Sarasota County. Firefighters arrived around 10:38 p.m. and had the blaze extinguished by roughly 11 p.m. Other residents were moved to another section of the building during the response and were later allowed back inside.
A resident who witnessed the scene, Richard Childs, told reporters he was struck by how calm the situation stayed. He credited the fire department for handling the evacuation and firefighting smoothly. The condition of the patient who was airlifted has not been publicly confirmed.
The State Fire Marshal is now investigating what caused the fire. Once residents returned to their rooms, they were reminded that smoking is not allowed in the building. For Suncoast families with loved ones in care facilities, this is a good week to ask about emergency plans and evacuation procedures. Do you know your loved one’s facility’s fire safety plan? Let us know in the comments.
