3 injured in south Fort Myers house fire

SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla. Three people were injured after a home caught fire Sunday afternoon and shut down a portion of Ranchette Road, the South Trail Fire and Rescue District said.

Two firefighters and one civilian sustained non life-threatening injuries in the “heavily involved” fire, said Ben Bengston, assistant chief of the South Trail Fire and Rescue District.

WINK News reporter Chris Grisby went live via Facebook as fire and emergency medical service officials provided updates on the fire:

Ranchette Road is blocked off in both directions from Willow Lake Circle to Penzance Boulevard.

Firefighters are working to extinguish the flames of the approximately 4,000 square-foot home that began around 3:45 p.m. on the 11400 block of Ranchette Road, Bengston said. The fire began in the garage and is under control, but crews are expected to be on scene for another two hours.

Six loud booms could be heard from nearby streets as smoke rose in the air, however the explosions were not related to the fire.

“Sometimes a lot of it could be propane, and there were a lot of fireworks also in the back that started igniting after the fire,” Bengston said.

The circumstances leading up to the fire were unclear. The fire marshal and arson investigation team were called in and will investigate the fire.

No further information was immediately available.