Fire in Sunrise apartment complex leaves two families homeless

A fire in an apartment complex located at 5900 Northwest 16th Place in Sunrise, Florida, left two families homeless early Saturday morning, according to Sunrise Fire Rescue to Telemundo 51.

The incident began when smoke was reported inside one of the units of the building, located near Northwest 60th Avenue and 18th Place, in a residential area of Broward County.

Upon arriving at the scene, personnel from Sunrise Fire Rescue and Lauderhill Fire Rescue found intense flames coming out of several windows on the second floor of the building, which necessitated a joint response from both departments.

The fire units launched an aggressive attack against the flames, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to the attic of the complex and to the other apartments on the second level, which would have significantly worsened the situation.

All occupants of the building were able to exit the premises on their own before the arrival of emergency teams, a factor that authorities emphasized as crucial in preventing casualties.

Authorities confirmed that there were no injuries among residents or emergency personnel who responded to the scene.

As a result of the disaster, two families were displaced and lost access to their homes. The authorities indicated that they are working together with the American Red Cross to provide additional assistance to those affected, which includes temporary shelter, food, medicine, clothing, and transportation, as well as long-term recovery programs with financial assistance and grants for home repairs.

Fires in residential complexes are a recurring issue in South Florida. In April 2026, a fire in Lauderhill resulted in the death of a 91-year-old woman, and in December 2024, a couple of elderly Cubans in Hialeah became homeless after a fire in their home and faced serious difficulties in finding housing assistance.

Sunrise is a city in Broward County, northwest of Fort Lauderdale, with a population of approximately 97,335 residents according to the 2020 Census, of which 28.5% are of Hispanic or Latino origin and 9.2% belong to the Cuban community.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal of Florida will assist in the investigation to determine the cause of the fire, according to Sunrise Fire Rescue. This state agency works in coordination with local fire departments when an official investigation into the origin of an incident is required.