Latest news with #parkinggarage
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Multiple vehicles damaged after fire breaks out at MCO parking garage, officials say
The Brief The fire broke out at the A garage, according to officials. Garage A has remained open since the fire. The fire did not impact airport operations. ORLANDO, Fla. - Officials with the Orlando International Airport responded to a fire that broke out at one of its parking garages early Sunday morning, according to airport officials. The small car fire broke out just before 8 a.m. in the A garage, according to officials. Airport officials said four vehicles were damaged in the fire. The fire did not affect airport operations, according to officials. Garage A has remained open since the fire, officials said.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New photos show partial collapse, damaged cars at Jacksonville airport parking garage
Two days after fire engulfed parts of a Jacksonville International Airport parking garage, new photos shared by the airport show damage to some of the dozens of cars ravaged by flames on Friday, May 16. The images released Sunday show several burned-out cars and debris in the part of the garage that partially collapsed during the mid-day fire that forced the closure of JIA for several hours and the indefinite closure of the airport's hourly parking garage to allow experts to assess the structural safety of the building. In a social media post on Sunday, May 18, the airport said that officials had "established a collapse zone" and that crews were "working to establish safe areas of the garage where cars may be removed" in the coming days. The hourly parking garage, which has a capacity of 1,015 vehicles, was nearly full when the fire is believed to have started in one vehicle on the second parking level, according to airport video, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department chief Keith Powers said. The parking structure remains closed in the aftermath of the fire, leaving hundreds of airport guests temporarily separated from their vehicles. More on the fire: Jacksonville airport parking garage fire cancels flights, closes parking facilities Two days after the fire that caused no serious injuries, the daily parking garage and daily surface parking were full, according to parking information on the airport's website. The outlying "economy lots" — which were at capacity during parts of the weekend — were listed as 88% full on Sunday evening. The airport encouraged travelers to find alternate parking or use taxis or ride-sharing services to get to and from the Northside airport. The hourly parking garage is a parking structure located directly across from the airport terminal, with an upper-level drop-off area for departing passengers and a lower-level pick-up area for arriving passengers separating the two buildings. The daily parking garage structure and daily surface lot parking extend out beyond the hourly parking garage, which is used most often for short stays at the airport to drop off or pick up family members or friends who are traveling to and from the airport. The ground floor of the facility also houses several rental car pick-up and drop-off facilities. What's next: Heading to JIA? Parking options limited after fire sweeps through airport parking garage This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville airport parking garage fire photos
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Jacksonville City Councilman says his car may be among those destroyed in JAX airport garage fire
Travelers returning to Jacksonville International Airport are arriving to uncertainty and damage after a massive fire broke out in the airport's Hourly Parking Garage on Friday afternoon, destroying approximately 50 vehicles. As of Saturday, the airport's Daily Parking Garage also remained closed. Vehicles currently inside can only be retrieved for exit. Meanwhile, airport officials have provided a way for affected travelers to submit their vehicle information through a link now available on the airport's website. One of those impacted may be Jacksonville City Councilman At-Large Matt Carlucci, who parked his car with valet service before flying out Wednesday. 'When I get back into town tomorrow, I've got to find out if they have any information on whether my vehicle was damaged or not,' Carlucci said. RELATED: JIA giving updates to travelers impacted by airport garage fire He believes his car could be among those affected based on where the valet service reportedly stores vehicles. 'I took my vehicle and parked it with the valet. From what I understand from some people I've spoken to, they park the valet vehicles in the same place where the fire occurred,' Carlucci said. On Saturday, Action News Jax's Nicholas Brooks observed rows of destroyed vehicles on the third floor of the garage, with additional damage spotted on the fourth floor. PHOTOS: Parking garage fire at Jacksonville International Airport Carlucci, who is also a State Farm insurance agent with decades of experience, offered guidance to those whose vehicles may have been damaged or destroyed. 'If the car is burned up, it's going to be covered. It will be covered for actual cash value,' he said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] He also addressed concerns about personal items that may have been inside the affected vehicles. 'Anything that's in the car is going to be covered under your homeowners in all likelihood. It's a good question you could ask your insurance company just in case,' Carlucci said. For those waiting on insurance settlements, Carlucci recommends checking whether their policy includes rental car coverage. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] 'If it's totaled, while they're coming up with a settlement, you're going to need a car to get around in. If you got a rental car, that will help you,' he said. Currently, all airport parking garages are full. If your vehicle is still trapped inside the Hourly Parking Garage, you can click this link. WATCH: Jacksonville International Airport garage fire: Next steps for repairs Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Jacksonville airport parking garage fire cancels flights, closes parking facilities
Ignited by a still-unknown source, fire swept through the hourly parking garage of Jacksonville International Airport on May 16, temporarily shutting down the Northside airport and leaving behind dozens of burned-out vehicles, a structurally-damaged building and jumbled plans for thousands of travelers. City and airport officials said no serious injuries resulted from the fire, which ignited at mid-day. The fire abruptly turned plans upside down for travelers when an hours-long closure of the airport canceled some incoming and departing flights and shut down roads leading to and from the terminal. Passengers who had just arrived on flights into Jacksonville were forced to make alternative travel arrangements when they couldn't get access to rental cars or their own cars in airport parking facilities, or when their friends and families were unable to get to the airport for curbside pickup. Officials said the fire, which damaged an estimated 50 cars, was so intense that it triggered a partial collapse of the hourly parking garage's second and third floors, forcing the indefinite closure of the structure to incoming and exiting vehicles as well as pedestrians as they worked to assess the full damage. On May 17, the day after the fire, the airport's daily garage and daily surface lot were also closed to incoming vehicles, officials said. But travelers whose cars were already parked in those facilities were able to access their vehicles and exit the airport. The closure of the hourly parking garage and its 1,200 parking spaces comes as the airport's parking facilities closest to the terminal regularly reach capacity — even before the start of the busy summer travel season. And with the temporary closure of airport lots near the damaged garage, airport parking had already reached capacity — even at the outlying Economy Parking lots — by mid-morning May 17. Flight disruptions continued the day after the fire, leading to at least a half-dozen cancellations of departing flights from the airport. Cassy LaRussa and Nina Knappenberger, who had flown to Jacksonville to join family members for a nephew's graduation ceremony at Creekside High School, were minutes away from getting into a rental car in the hourly parking garage when smoke began to fill the air. "We were trying to get a car and we had the keys, and then they were yelling at us to evacuate and we had to run across to the terminal," LaRussa said. "There was a lot of smoke but it looked like it was from the other garage," Knappenberger said. "And then they came over and said it was right above us and we had to get out now. And you could see the flames when we came out of the parking garage." Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department chief Keith Powers said the two-alarm fire required the use of seven engines, three crash trucks, five ladders and three tankers. The fire department received word of billowing smoke from the building shortly after 12 p.m., and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office closed roads leading to and from the airport as fire crews battled the blaze. The closure resulted in cars lining up for miles on the grassy shoulders of the roads leading to the airport because drivers couldn't go any further. On the other side of the road closures, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority brought in buses near the cell phone waiting lot so people could step into the buses for cool air and a break from the hot weather. Ben and Emma Nelson learned about the fire when they arrived at the airport and found the road blocked by the Sheriff's Office. They had been determined to avoid a repeat of an experience they had last year when they flew out of Jacksonville after a vacation and had trouble finding parking space to return their rental car. They headed extra early to the airport after wrapping up a vacation in St. Augustine. "I think our first thought was, 'Not again," Ben Nelson said. "It was like you've got to be joking — another thing in Jacksonville," Emma Nelson said. "But what can you do? You've got to just roll with the inconvenience." Even after Yankee Clipper Drive, the main road to the airport, reopened at about 5:30 p.m. for drivers to access the terminals, travelers were checking their cell phones to find out whether they still could fly out of Jacksonville or make arrangements for an overnight stay. Michael Stewart, director of external affairs for the airport, said at the May 16 media briefing the airport had not yet calculated the number of flights that were delayed, canceled or diverted due to the closure. Powers said airport video indicated that the fire began in one vehicle on the second floor of the garage and damaged an estimated 50 other cars, burning so intensely that the heat triggered a partial collapse of the garage's second and third floors. A secondary collapse followed about 30 minutes later, and the fire shut down all airport activity for several hours until its evening reopening. As of 4 p.m. that afternoon, Mayor Donna Deegan said at a media briefing that the fire was contained but not yet fully extinguished. Because of the structural damage to the garage, Deegan said that crews had deployed a drone in an effort to confirm that no people were trapped inside the building. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Also unclear is the timetable for removing vehicles from the damaged building. Powers compared the process to the partial collapse of the Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside parking garage in September 2023. In that case, crews worked through much of the autumn to remove vehicles from that garage using a crane and robotic technology. "I would not expect it to be a short period of time," Powers said. Powers said the garage's most recent inspection was in October 2024. Stewart urged travelers to check with airlines about the status of flights, and recommended that they consider the use of rideshare services to compensate for the loss of parking options. In a social media post, the airport advised that parking would remain "extremely constrained for the foreseeable future." JIA has yet to specify the number of cars remaining in the garage. However, the airport's online parking tracker on the afternoon of the fire recorded 90 percent occupancy for the 1,200-space garage, which if accurate, would amount to about 1,080 vehicles inside the structure. The garage had been busy all day: The airport had announced that the hourly garage was "nearing capacity" at 9:52 a.m. May 16, slightly more than two hours before the fire. The airport announced on the night of May 16 that officials were beginning work on a web page to update people whose vehicles were parked in the hourly garage. Also, the airport set up temporary areas for rental car returns. These are on Staggerwing Court for Alamo, Enterprise and National; on Rental Car Lane for Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and Thrifty; and at the Aviation Authority administrative office at 14201 Pecan Park Road for Sixt. Teresa Stepzinski and Gary T. Mills of the Times-Union contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Massive fire wreaks havoc on Jacksonville airport flights, parking
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fire in parking garage temporarily closes Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport remained closed Friday afternoon after a multi-vehicle fire inside one of the parking garages. City Council president Randy White reported no serious injuries in an afternoon statement to the Times-Union. "At this time, I have been informed there are no serious injuries reported, and operations are being assessed to ensure safe resumption of services. The safety and well-being of our residents and visitors remain our top priority," White said in a statement. As of 2:30 p.m., the airport said that the hourly garage remained closed, but the airport's other parking locations at the daily garage, daily surface lots and economy lots were now accessible by way of shuttle buses. The premier parking lot at the lower level of the baggage claim area was designated as the pick-up location. First Coast News received several calls around 12:30 p.m. reporting a fire at the airport. According to a staff member with JAX, multiple vehicles caught fire in level three of the daily parking garage. Roadways in and out of the airport have been restricted while staff respond to the fire. The airport posted the following message to Facebook: Due to a fire in the Hourly Garage, the airport is currently closed. JFRD is on-site working the issue. JSO has blocked inbound and outbound road access to the airport. Additional details will be forthcoming soon. In a statement to the Times-Union, City Council member Reggie Gaffney said, "My office is in close communication with city agencies and airport officials to monitor the situation. We will provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, I ask for your patience and cooperation as we work together to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved." (This is a developing story and will be updated.) Times-Union staff contributed to this report. This story was first published by First Coast News. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville airport closes after fire reported in garage
