Arson detectives investigating apartment fire
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – Residents of the Penny Plaza apartment complex kept a mid-morning blaze there under control until firefighters could arrive.
But now arson detectives with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the fire as suspicious.
The 18-unit complex made news last month after residents learned the building was in danger of foreclosure.
A neighbor called 911 at 10:30 a.m. Sunday to report the fire at 2207 Bay Boulevard, # 203.
According to the sheriff’s office, a man was sleeping in his living room when he awoke to the smell of smoke. The man, who deputies did not identify, grabbed his dog and left the apartment before returning with a fire extinguisher. The man and his neighbors extinguished most of the blaze and firefighters finished the job.
No injuries were reported. The fire caused smoke damage to the apartment and water damage to adjacent apartments.
- Rita Farlow, Times staff writer