Early morning fire destroys one of city's oldest houses

CLEARWATER – Flames extensively damaged one of the city’s oldest houses early July 25 and sent one firefighter to the hospital.Fire Marshal Steve Strong said the house at 622 Belleview Blvd., near Hamlet Street, was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived shortly after 1:30 a.m. The firefighter, whom he wouldn’t identify, had taken a hose to the second story of the house when the floor beneath him collapsed, sending him crashing to the floor below.Rescuers helped the 36-year-old firefighter from the burning house and he was taken to Mease Dunedin Hospital for treatment. Strong said the firefighter was treated and released with minor burns and a broken rib.The old, two-story house had just been moved to the site, according to Strong and was unoccupied.The fire marshal said it appeared the fire started in an electrical junction box on a back wall. He said flames crept under the first floor through a crawlspace and rose into the house.“We believe the fire was going about 30 minutes before it was noticed and someone called 911,” said Strong. “The first firefighters on the scene entered the structure for their initial attack. Members of the crew went up the stairs to extinguish the fire from the interior. The first firefighter reached the top of the stairs and entered the second-floor bathroom. While crawling on his hands and knees, the firefighter fell through the floor.”Strong said his investigation showed that the floor under the firefighter had been weakened by flames.The fire was declared under control at 2 a.m. but the house was totally destroyed, said Strong, who estimated total damage at $200,000. Because of the fire’s proximity to Belleair Bluffs and Largo, units from those municipalities automatically responded in mutual aid to assist Clearwater, Strong said. In all, there were 16 or 17 firefighters at the scene, he said, with three fire engines, one utility truck, a rescue vehicle and ambulance.Strong said he couldn’t confirm the house’s historic significance.“I was told it was the second-oldest house in Clearwater but I couldn’t confirm that,” he said.The house was moved to the Belleview Boulevard address just in the past month, Strong said, from its original location on Fort Harrison Avenue and Lakeview Road. He said the house was being renovated and improved wiring was installed within the past two weeks.