MIAMI, FL – Chaos struck the Temple Court Apartments early Monday when a fire broke out amid an ongoing shooting investigation, leaving one man critically injured. The incident occurred at 431 NW 3rd Street, where police found a man with a gunshot wound on the third floor. He was immediately transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Mayor Francis Suarez noted that the first calls about the fire came in around 8:15 a.m. “We got several calls about a fire at this address. On arrival, we found a shooting victim who was taken to JMH. Meanwhile, our firefighters were battling an escalating fire,” Suarez explained.
The connection between the shooting and the fire remains unclear, according to police. Over 30 fire units were summoned to combat the large fire that had spread through the four-story building located near downtown Miami. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy smoke and flames emanating from a third-floor window.
Captain Ignatius Carroll of Miami Fire Rescue described the intense situation. “We saw heavy smoke and flames from a third-floor window when we arrived. The fire spread quickly as we entered the building. Our main goal was to evacuate everyone and control the fire,” Carroll said.
More than 30 residents, many of them elderly, were rescued from the burning building. One individual was taken to the hospital, though it is unclear if this was the shooting victim or another person. Residents reported hearing explosions as they fled to safety.
The building’s shared attic space allowed the fire to spread more easily, complicating firefighting efforts. “Our focus is on containing the fire to prevent it from reaching nearby buildings. It’s a stubborn fire, spreading to hard-to-reach areas,” Carroll noted.
The wooden structure of the building and limited access points posed additional challenges for the firefighters. A cooling station was set up nearby to support the fire crews, and two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion but are in stable condition. A reunification center has been established at the community center at San Marti Park for displaced residents to reconnect with their loved ones.