JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When a fire breaks out in a parking garage, there’s nowhere to hide — only cars, chaos, and concrete. That danger became all too real in May when a massive fire tore through the hourly garage at Jacksonville International Airport.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) spent hours battling the flames, which ultimately destroyed dozens of vehicles.
Crews quickly discovered the garage lacked sprinkler systems, making it challenging to see or breathe through the thick black smoke.
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“They had standpipes, but they didn’t have sprinkler systems set up… They couldn’t see a thing in thick black smoke,” said JFRD Captain Eric Prosswimmer.
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority now estimates it will cost around $38 million to rebuild the structure.
But airport garages aren’t the only concern.
An Action News Jax investigation found that only one of the city’s five major downtown parking garages — the Duval Street Garage — has sprinklers. The Water Street, Ed Ball, Yates, and Bay & Ocean Lot garages do not.
UNF civil engineering professor Dr. Adel ElSafty, who specializes in structural safety, says the absence of fire suppression systems in older garages poses a serious risk — especially as vehicles get larger and carry more fuel.
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“It’s a scary scenario not to have a sprinkler system in parking garages,” ElSafty said. “If you have fire in one vehicle and it’s not contained on time, it’s going to spread — especially with tighter spaces and bigger cars. That fuels the fire.”
The airport garage was built in 1989, before sprinkler systems were required. New codes mandating sprinklers in parking structures didn’t take effect until 2023.
“Those cars are loaded with fuel, gas, plastics — everything. They can burn very easily. A parking-garage fire is a serious fire,” Prosswimmer said.
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He also warned that electric vehicle fires could present an even greater challenge.
“I haven’t seen an EV car burn yet here… but those batteries? You can submerge them in water and they can still re-ignite hours later,” he said.
Dr. ElSafty emphasized that even one fire should serve as a wake-up call.
“We just want to make our infrastructure safe and stronger… The most important thing is that people don’t get hurt,” he said.
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