JFRD Puts Out Mandarin Lakes Apartment Fire That Displaced 11 Residents

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded Thursday morning, November 5, 2026, to a multi-story apartment fire at Mandarin Lakes, 11001 Old St. Augustine Road. First Coast News identified the complex as MAA Mandarin Lakes. Fire Chief Percy Golden said crews were dispatched at 8:11 a.m. The first engine arrived at 8:15 a.m. and reported heavy fire on the second floor, according to First Coast News. Action News Jax described the building as a three-story complex. Golden said a commander on scene called for more firefighters and additional resources as the fire spread quickly. First Coast News reported that the cause is unknown and that the State Fire Marshal's office is investigating. This report does not name a cause.

Key facts reported by JFRD officials to local news outlets: dispatch at about 8:11 a.m. Thursday, November 5, 2026. First engine at 8:15 a.m. Heavy second-floor fire that spread to the third floor. About 35 JFRD vehicles responded, Golden told News4JAX. The fire was out in about 30 minutes. Eleven residents were displaced. Twelve apartment units were impacted, nine of which were occupied, Action News Jax reported, citing Golden. One resident was treated for smoke inhalation. One firefighter was taken to a hospital out of an abundance of caution, Golden said. Firefighters rescued multiple pets. Crews went back into affected units to retrieve lifesaving medication. A propane tank on a second-floor balcony ignited during the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents. On-scene counts can be updated. Confirm the latest figures on the linked reports.

Golden told First Coast News that crews found heavy fire on the second floor that was spreading quickly. He said a propane tank on a second-floor balcony ignited and made conditions more difficult for firefighters. Action News Jax reported that JFRD said the tank weighed 25 pounds and that it was unknown what the tank was being used for. News4JAX described it as a small propane tank. Those accounts describe something that ignited while crews were already fighting the fire. They do not, on their own, establish how the fire started. The State Fire Marshal's office is the agency First Coast News named as investigating.

Golden told News4JAX that when the tank ignited, it made already difficult conditions worse for firefighters who rescued multiple pets and returned to affected units to collect lifesaving medication for some of the 11 displaced residents. He said that when you lose a home, even for a night, those are things people cannot go without. First Coast News quoted Golden on the same point: crews went back in after suppression work to retrieve that medication. JFRD did not, in the reports reviewed for this article, name the pets, the residents, or the firefighter who was evaluated.

JFRD Chief of Operations Robert Hickson told News4JAX that the building's structure will have to be checked for safety before residents can go back in to retrieve belongings. The Florida Times-Union, citing Hickson, said the fire appeared to have started on a second floor and extended to the third floor. That is a description of how the fire moved through the building, not a finding on ignition. The Times-Union placed the complex on Old St. Augustine Road near Losco Road and said the Emergency Preparedness Division was working with the American Red Cross and property management to help residents. First Coast News also said JFRD's Emergency Preparedness Division is working with the Red Cross to assist the displaced families.

Mandarin is a Southside Jacksonville neighborhood. Old St. Augustine Road is a main corridor there. An apartment fire at 11001 Old St. Augustine Road affects the people who live in the damaged building first. It also affects neighbors in the same complex who may face smoke, water, blocked access, or temporary parking and lane changes while crews work. Action News Jax said 12 units were impacted and that nine of those units were occupied. Eleven people were displaced. Residents in units that were not listed among the 12 can still be asked to stay out until officials say the building is safe to reenter. Hickson said the structure has to be checked before people go back in for belongings.

Pets rescued at the scene stay part of this fire report. Golden told News4JAX and Action News Jax that firefighters rescued multiple pets. The outlets did not say how many animals were taken out, what species they were, or where they were taken after the fire. This report does not add those details. Tenants who cannot locate an animal after a fire can ask on-scene crews or call 630-CITY (904-630-2489) for city animal services questions. Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services is the municipal agency. Jacksonville Humane Society, a separate private nonprofit shelter, lists its Pet Help Center at (904) 493-4584. Those numbers are for help finding or placing an animal. They are not a substitute for 911 during an active fire.

How this affects Mandarin residents: if you live at Mandarin Lakes, follow instructions from JFRD, property managers, and the Red Cross before you try to reenter. Hickson said the structure has to be checked for safety first. If you were displaced, First Coast News and Action News Jax said the Red Cross is assisting with shelter. If you live nearby, expect fire apparatus, closed parking, and possible smoke or water in shared areas. If you smelled smoke or have breathing trouble after the fire, seek medical care. Golden said one resident was treated for smoke inhalation. Do not treat that as a complete injury list. Later medical visits can happen after the scene is cleared.

JFRD publishes after-a-fire guidance for residents at https://www.myjfrd.com/fire-safety/after-a-fire The page says that once the initial shock passes, recovery can be physically and mentally draining. For immediate needs such as temporary housing, food, medicine, clothing, and other essentials, JFRD tells people to contact the American Red Cross at 904-358-8091, or 1-888-843-5748 from outside the 904 area code, and to use the phone rather than email in an emergency. The same page lists the Salvation Army at 904-356-8641 for similar disaster help. JFRD tells tenants to contact the owner or the owner's insurance agent, to keep receipts, and to understand that the owner's insurance, in most cases, will not cover a tenant's personal belongings. It also says most insurance policies require the property to be secured against further loss, and that people should avoid removing items before an insurance adjuster arrives if they can.

The city's JaxReady after-the-fire page, https://www.jaxready.com/recovery/after-the-fire repeats that JFRD can arrange for the American Red Cross to assist with temporary housing, food, medicine, eyeglasses, clothing, and other essential items. It warns that smoke and dirty water from firefighting can contain toxins, and that people should consider staying elsewhere until damage is repaired and cleaned. If it is necessary to go inside, the page advises wearing a mask and gloves. For a fire report on a specific incident, JaxReady lists JFRD records at (904) 255-3280, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or JFRDRecordsRequest@coj.net The same page lists 911 for fire and police emergencies, 904-630-2489 for the City of Jacksonville, 904-630-0500 for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office non-emergency line, and 1-800-733-2767 for the American Red Cross in Northeast Florida.

The Northeast Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross lists regional headquarters at 751 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204, and a chapter phone of 1-904-358-8091. Its public page says people affected by a home fire or other disaster can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) 24 hours a day. Chapter page: https://www.redcross.org/local/florida/north-central-florida/about-us/locations/northeast-florida.html Those are the numbers published by JFRD, JaxReady, and the Red Cross. This report does not invent a shelter address for Thursday's displaced households. Ask the Red Cross or JFRD's Emergency Preparedness Division for the location they are using.

People who still live in Mandarin and were not displaced can still use the same public safety numbers. For a fire in progress, call 911. For city services, smoke alarm questions, or animal care routing, call 630-CITY (904-630-2489). JFRD and city pages describe a smoke detector program that can provide and install a free smoke detector for qualifying residents in single-family or two-family homes, and can replace batteries in existing detectors, by calling 630-CITY. That program is described for those housing types. Apartment tenants should ask their property manager what alarms and extinguishers are required in their building. Stay Safe Jax previously reported City Council funding for JFRD firefighter gear-cleaning equipment at https://www.staysafejax.com/blog/jacksonville-city-council-approves-firefighter-safety-equipment Thursday's fire is a separate incident. The gear story is linked only as prior JFRD coverage.

What you can do: if you were displaced from Mandarin Lakes, contact the American Red Cross at 904-358-8091 or 1-800-733-2767 for immediate needs, and wait for JFRD and property managers to say when it is safe to go back inside. Call your insurer and keep receipts. If you cannot find a pet, ask crews on scene or call 630-CITY (904-630-2489). If you need a fire report, call (904) 255-3280 or email JFRDRecordsRequest@coj.net during posted weekday hours. Neighbors who were not displaced should still treat the building as a closed scene until officials reopen it. For later questions about city services, call 630-CITY. For emergencies, call 911.

Where was the fire, and when did JFRD arrive? Action News Jax placed the fire at Mandarin Lakes apartments, 11001 Old St. Augustine Road. First Coast News said Golden reported dispatch at 8:11 a.m. Thursday, November 5, 2026, and first-engine arrival at 8:15 a.m.

How many people and units were affected? Golden said 11 residents were displaced and 12 apartment units were impacted, according to First Coast News. Action News Jax, also citing Golden, said nine of the 12 units were occupied.

Did a propane tank start the fire? This report does not say that. Golden said a propane tank on a second-floor balcony ignited during the fire and made conditions more difficult. Action News Jax reported that JFRD said the tank was 25 pounds and that its use was unknown. First Coast News said the cause is unknown and that the State Fire Marshal's office is investigating.

Were pets rescued? Yes. News4JAX and Action News Jax reported that firefighters rescued multiple pets. The reports reviewed for this article did not say how many animals were rescued or where they went afterward.

Who is helping displaced residents? First Coast News said JFRD's Emergency Preparedness Division is working with the Red Cross. Action News Jax said the Red Cross is assisting with finding shelter. The Times-Union said Emergency Preparedness was working with the Red Cross and property management.

When can residents go back for belongings? Hickson told News4JAX that the building's structure will have to be checked for safety before residents can go back in to retrieve anything. Follow JFRD and property management instructions. Do not reenter on your own while the building is closed.