Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.
Promotional Rates were found for your code.
Sun and a few passing clouds. High 87F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..
A mostly clear sky. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Citrus County Fire Rescue personnel work to extinguish flames at Fero Funeral Home in Beverly Hills Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 16. Multiple stations were utilized in combatting the blaze that destroyed the building.
A Citrus County Fire Rescue worker uses his radio to communicate with those in charge of combatting a fire that destroyed a building at Fero Funeral Home in Beverly Hills Wednesday.
Class 1A foam is utilized to battle the flames at a funeral home in Beverly Hills Wednesday afternoon, Feb 16.
Firefighters broke through a wooden exterior atop a concrete wall outside of the Fero Funeral Home building to help direct foam to its source, helping to extinguish the fire.
Citrus County Fire Rescue personnel work to extinguish flames at Fero Funeral Home in Beverly Hills Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 16. Multiple stations were utilized in combatting the blaze that destroyed the building.
Firefighters broke through a wooden exterior atop a concrete wall outside of the Fero Funeral Home building to help direct foam to its source, helping to extinguish the fire.
Editor's Note: This story was updated with the correct titles of the responding Citrus County Fire Rescue units. The Chronicle regrets the error.
A fire ravaged the Fero Funeral Home in Beverly Hills.
Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR) units were dispatched at 11:36 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, to the funeral home and crematory off of North Lecanto Highway, where firefighters first arrived at 11:45 a.m. to find heavy smoke coming from the building’s eaves, according to CCFR.
Live power lines were also found down by one side of the building.
From the ground and from the top of a ladder engine, firefighters hosed down the blaze as it burned through the roof, which partially collapsed shortly after noon, prompting firefighters inside to evacuate unharmed before resuming their battle.
A Citrus County Fire Rescue worker uses his radio to communicate with those in charge of combatting a fire that destroyed a building at Fero Funeral Home in Beverly Hills Wednesday.
Crews from CCFR stations in Pine Ridge, DeRosa, Homosassa, Kensington, Citrus Springs, Hernando, Connell Heights and Sugarmill Woods controlled the fire by 12:24 p.m.
A pair of CCFR battalion chiefs, three chief officers, a fire marshal, a safety captain and a rehab unit also responded.
Occupants inside the funeral home had evacuated, according to CCFR, and no injuries were reported.
Class 1A foam is utilized to battle the flames at a funeral home in Beverly Hills Wednesday afternoon, Feb 16.
Along with damaging 80 percent of the funeral home, according to CCFR, fire also damaged 10 percent of a second building on the property.
According to CCFR, the cause and origin of the blaze are under investigation but are believed to be accidental in nature.
Beth Dombrowa, a spokeswoman for Fero Funeral Home, said “a downed power line resulted in the fire,” and “the majority of the damage occurred in the funeral home.”
“There were no injuries,” she said, “and we are grateful that our local first responders arrived quickly.”
No services were taking place at the funeral home, CCFR spokeswoman Cortney Marsh said, and no corpses were inside at the time of the fire.
“Only a few urns,” Marsh said, “which were safely removed from the premises.”
“All families and their loved ones in our care are safe,” Dombrowa added. “We will communicate directly with our client families regarding upcoming services.”
Contact Chronicle reporter Buster Thompson at 352-564-2916, bthompson@chronicle
or visit tinyurl.com/yxn2ahso to see more of his stories.
After being gutted by a fire, the Fero Funeral Home in Beverly Hills is reopening its services.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.