Sonali Tiwary
A massive fire tore through Jacksonville International Airport’s main parking garage Friday, destroying 50 cars and forcing travelers to scramble for alternative plans. The blaze shut down the entire airport for more than four hours, stranding passengers both in the terminal and on incoming flights.
The trouble started around noon when a car caught fire on the second floor of the hourly garage. The flames spread to nearby vehicles. Black smoke filled the sky, visible from miles away. The fire burned so hot it actually caused parts of the second and third floors to collapse.
Fire Chief Keith Powers painted a grim picture of the damage. “We can’t even send firefighters inside because the structure isn’t stable,” he said. Instead, they’re using drones to check for anyone who might be trapped and to survey the destruction.
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The timing couldn’t have been worse. The garage was packed – 95% full – when the fire started. Now, both the hourly and daily parking garages are closed until further notice. That’s 2,000 fewer parking spots at the airport.
“Thank goodness it doesn’t look like anybody’s hurt,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said. “We got people out pretty quick.” But the aftermath is causing major headaches for anyone flying in or out of Jacksonville.
Want to park at the airport? You’ll need a Plan B. Officials say to use ride-share services like Uber or Lyft, or try off-site parking lots. Rental car returns? They’ve all moved. Enterprise customers now head to Staggerwing Road. Most other companies (Avis, Budget, Hertz) use Rental Car Road. Sixt renters go to the Aviation Authority building on Pecan Park Road.
The fire has exposed bigger concerns about safety in parking structures. When cars are packed tightly together, a single vehicle fire can quickly become a major disaster. Investigators are still working to figure out how this fire started and spread so rapidly.
The airport is back open for flights, but the parking nightmare isn’t ending anytime soon. Fire officials say examining the structural damage and deciding whether to repair or rebuild will be a long process. For now, anyone heading to Jacksonville International should plan extra time and expect to park farther away or get dropped off.
