JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax is getting shocking new video of the aftermath of the Jacksonville International Airport garage fire when it erupted back in May.
We’ve been telling you for months now about the investigation into the fire and efforts to repair the structure after a BMW SUV was the vehicle identified as the vehicle that ignited the fire.
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The newly released drone video gives a first look at the moments after the Hourly Parking Garage erupted in flames.
It shows cars still smoldering, one still on fire, and fire rescue crews focusing their efforts on the car that likely started the fire.
“We are going to be down and challenged with respect to parking, but we have enough parking for people coming to the airport now,” Michael Stewart, Jacksonville International Airport’s Vice President of External Affairs, said after the fire in May.
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For months, Action News Jax has reached out to airport officials to learn more about what happened.
But even with the newly released video, Stewart said it doesn’t do much to tell airport leaders more about what’s already known.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department spent hours fighting the blaze before learning the garage didn’t have a sprinkler system.
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We talked to University of North Florida civil engineering professor Dr. Adel El Safty in July about the consequences.
“It’s a scary scenario not to have a sprinkler system in parking garages,” El Safty said. “If you have fire in one vehicle and it’s not contained on time, it’s going to spread -- especially with tighter spaces and bigger cars. That fuels the fire.”
At least 500 parking spots have been lost since the fire and the southern section of the Hourly Garage is still closed while the fire remains under investigation by the ATF.
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