More than 100 residents displaced by a major fire at a Miami Gardens condo building

At least 105 people are displaced after a fire engulfed dozens of units at a two-story apartment building in Miami Gardens Saturday morning.

No deaths have been reported.

More than 45 fire rescue units responded to a three-alarm blaze reported at 395 NW 177th St. around 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied “Ray” Jadallah said the crew had some “significant challenges with this fire.”

“First and foremost, we had numerous occupants that were still in their apartments with the raging fire,” he said. “Coupled with the fact that you can see around us, the wind was pushing relatively quick.

“So we had many personnel attempting to cut the roof, begin extinguishment of the fire from underneath the rooftop. We had personnel that were utilized to begin search and rescue efforts.”

Number of people displaced

The New World Condominium was built in 1968 and had 75 units. They were all damaged by the fire.

“Of those 75, we projected that approximately half were destroyed as a result of partial collapse of the roof coupled with water, smoke and fire damage,” Jadallah said.

Right now, officials are estimating that 105 people have been displaced, but that number could escalate.

“We believe many occupants are still at work and being notified. We are projecting about 150 to 200 [occupants will be impacted], but right now we are at 105 occupants,” Jadallah said Saturday afternoon.

Providing assistance

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the fire a “terrible tragedy” at a press conference set up near the New World apartments. “All of those affected have been rescued,” she said, “but unfortunately this is a very serious fire and it is not totally under control.”

Levine Cava said officials, including the county’s Homeless Trust, The Red Cross, police and fire departments, will work together to provide support to the residents whose apartments are damaged.

“Everyone here is gathered to support those affected,” she said. “All united to everything that we can in this time of need for these families who are suffering right now and not sure how they will be able to get back in [to their homes].”

Said Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris: “A tragedy has taken place here in our city once again. But we are so excited that the community has come together to make sure that these people that are displaced right now will have all the resources they will possibly need to make their lives just a little bit easy.”

Ryan Logan, regional disaster officer for the American Red Cross in South Florida, said his team was notified around 11:30 a.m. that their team would be pressed for assistance.

“Our primary focus is to work with each individual resident to assess exactly what their needs are based off the incident,” Logan said. “We will work with each of those families to make sure we meet those needs whether it is food, clothing, shelter, prescription medications, etc.

“Our first step right now is making sure we can get them into some sort of safe, sanitary, secure location for the next 24 hours and then we will follow-up to start working on those longer term needs,” Logan said.

A search of Miami-Dade County records showed no code violations for 395 NW 177th St., but also didn’t show the 1968 building’s recertification, which should have occurred in 2008.