Nearly two weeks after a devastating lightning strike, residents of the damaged apartment building next door to Magic Kingdom remain unable to return home.
Apartment Fire Next to Magic Kingdom
Several families were displaced after a lightning strike damaged around 20 apartments at the Buena Vista Place Apartments earlier this month. The apartments, located just across the street from a Magic Kingdom Cast Member parking lot, saw a large Orange County Fire Rescue response following a lightning strike during a particularly severe thunderstorm on July 5.
A spokesperson for the county confirmed the following with Orlando’s News 6:
“The structure remains posted as unsafe with no occupancy approved at this time. The engineer, fire systems contractor, and electrical contractor have indicated that temporary emergency repairs have been made.
Representatives from Building Safety and the Office of the Fire Marshal met with the project coordinators to detail permitting and inspection requirements that must be completed before occupancy can be restored.
Building Safety is committed to assisting our customers and restoring compliance to the building and occupancy for the residents as quickly as possible.”
One displaced resident, Lizelba Garcia, told News 6 that apartment management advised her it could be as long as 10 months before she is able to move back into her former unit. Garcia said management has offered to relocate her family to another apartment within the complex by the end of July.
Garcia and her family are currently staying with her sister. Her son, Jayden Padilla, said 13 people are sharing the house, creating an overwhelming living situation for the displaced family.
News 6 also reported that it had made repeated attempts to contact Buena Vista Place management but had not received a response.
Witnesses on the day of the fire reported seeing lightning strike the three-story apartment building before smoke began filling at least one unit. Orange County Fire Rescue responded to what became a two-alarm fire, with crews initially finding smoke coming from the building’s roof.
Early reports indicated that at least five apartments had sustained significant fire and water damage. The damage appears to have ultimately affected around 20 units in the apartment complex.
Residents were given about 36 hours to remove belongings from the damaged building following the fire, according to WFTV. Families worked to salvage furniture, clothing, and other possessions while rain reportedly entered through openings left in the roof. The American Red Cross provided each affected household with $600 in emergency assistance.
The Buena Vista Place Apartments are located along Reams Road in Windermere, immediately north of Walt Disney World property. On a map, the complex sits directly across Reams Road from Magic Kingdom’s West Clock cast parking area and near Disney University. The apartment community’s proximity to the northern boundary of Walt Disney World makes it a convenient residential location for Cast Members, though Disney has not confirmed how many of the displaced residents work for the company.
We reported from the scene on July 5, observing eight fire trucks and three ambulances at the complex as smoke rose from the affected building. A firefighter also deployed an infrared-equipped drone to search the structure for remaining hot spots. Fire radio communications indicated that everyone had escaped the building.
According to Orange County Fire Rescue, one person was transported to a hospital for evaluation, while another declined medical treatment. No serious injuries were reported.
Orange County said it is working with the project coordinators to restore the building’s compliance and allow residents to return as soon as possible. There has, however, been no indication of an official timetable for completing the required repairs and inspections from either county officials or Buena Vista Place Apartments.
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