On Friday morning at Imperial Swan Hotel & Suites in Lakeland, Florida, a fire broke out, forcing out FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) survivors staying there. Lakeland Fire Department responded at 5:40 AM and found an evacuation was already underway, with alarms sounding and a sprinkler system is activated in the second-floor room where it had started.
As there were numerous fire code violations at the hotel, guests were permitted to briefly reenter to collect their belongings before being asked not to stay there again. FEMA TSA survivors temporarily housed there due to disasters have now been moved onto other accommodations.
Officials have not provided details regarding the exact number of hotel occupants; however, they confirmed that one dog was found deceased in the room where the fire originated and no human occupants were discovered there when firefighters arrived at the scene.
This incident has raised serious concerns regarding the safety of disaster survivors living in temporary accommodations, while authorities work to relocate them to safer environments. Contact us for fire watch services today