INLET BEACH, FL - South Walton Fire District (SWFD) firefighters responded to a residential structure fire Friday afternoon, August 16th, in Inlet Beach, containing the fire to the garage and exterior of the residence.

At 3:33 p.m., a 911 caller reported to SWFD dispatchers smoke and flames were visible from the ground floor area between two four-story homes on Palm Court Lane. Bystanders were attempting to keep the fire from growing further with a garden hose.

When firefighters arrived on-scene at 3:37 p.m., they found fire coming from the corner of one of the homes near the garage. It was also spreading into the landscaping between the two structures.

Firefighters then entered the home involved and alerted multiple individuals within the residence to the emergency and assisted them in evacuating from the residence. Simultaneously, additional crews were placing water on the fire, but found it was being fed by the gas and electric utilities located on the home’s exterior.

SWFD then requested the response of Florida Power and Light, and Okaloosa Gas, to turn off the house’s utilities. Firefighters kept the fire from spreading further until utilities personnel arrived on-scene and turned off the home’s electric and gas.

Firefighters remained on-scene for approximately two hours mitigating hotspots within the home’s garage and exterior.

Fortunately, no injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported. The SWFD Fire Marshal investigated the cause of the fire and determined it was most likely attributed to an electrical issue on the exterior of the home.

SWFD would like to thank all mutual aid partners who provided coverage within our District during the incident, as well as the utilities companies and Walton County Sheriff’s Office for assistance on-scene.