Tiki hut fire spreads to Fort Lauderdale home, family escapes safely

Flames from a tiki hut behind a rental property in Fort Lauderdale spread into the home next door before sunrise Thursday, forcing four adults and three dogs out safely. No injuries were reported in the fire on the 1800 block of Southwest 23rd Avenue.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue was called to the scene at about 5:20 a.m. on June 18 and found the tiki structure burning behind the property. Firefighters got there about six minutes later and stopped the blaze after it had moved into the neighboring residence. The cause remains under investigation, and investigators have not said whether the fire started in the hut or in the home.

A neighbor, Gigi, said the fire was large enough to alarm people in the block. “It was huge it was a big tiki hut,” Gigi said. She added, “It’s very sad, you know. Imagine it was your house that catches on fire.” The American Red Cross will help the displaced residents.

The scene underscored how quickly an outdoor structure can become a house fire in a neighborhood where homes sit close together. Even when the flames begin outside the main living space, wood-framed features such as tiki huts can put a neighboring home at risk within minutes, especially before daylight when people may be asleep.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, which was established in 1912, operates 12 fire stations and responds to more than 55,000 911 calls for service each year. The city’s Fire Prevention Bureau handles inspections, education, plan review, permitting, code enforcement and fire investigations, and enforces fire protection requirements under the National Fire Protection Association, the Florida Fire Prevention Code, the Florida Building Code and city ordinances.