Hot Barbecue Coals Believed To Have Destroyed Northdale Home

NORTHDALE, FL — Hot coals from a back-yard barbecue that were improperly disposed of in a garbage bin are believed to be the cause of a fire that swept through a home in Northdale Monday afternoon.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded to a call from a resident about a fire on Lakeville Drive in Northdale around 4 p.m. Monday. The caller reported smoke and flames coming from the second story of the home.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews from Engine 41 used a hand line to the second story through the front door to knock down the blaze in 11 minutes.

Crews performed both primary and secondary searches, and found no one in the home.

The residents discarded what they believed to be cooled coals after barbecuing. The coals caught the garbage bin on fire, which burned hot enough to extend up the side of the home into the attic space.