Two days after fire engulfed parts of a Jacksonville International Airport parking garage, new photos shared by the airport show damage to some of the dozens of cars ravaged by flames on Friday, May 16.
The images released Sunday show several burned-out cars and debris in the part of the garage that partially collapsed during the mid-day fire that forced the closure of JIA for several hours and the indefinite closure of the airport’s hourly parking garage to allow experts to assess the structural safety of the building.
In a social media post on Sunday, May 18, the airport said that officials had “established a collapse zone” and that crews were “working to establish safe areas of the garage where cars may be removed” in the coming days.
The hourly parking garage, which has a capacity of 1,015 vehicles, was nearly full when the fire is believed to have started in one vehicle on the second parking level, according to airport video, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department chief Keith Powers said. The parking structure remains closed in the aftermath of the fire, leaving hundreds of airport guests temporarily separated from their vehicles.
More on the fire: Jacksonville airport parking garage fire cancels flights, closes parking facilities
Jacksonville airport parking options limited after parking garage fire
Two days after the fire that caused no serious injuries, the daily parking garage and daily surface parking were full, according to parking information on the airport’s website. The outlying “economy lots” — which were at capacity during parts of the weekend — were listed as 88% full on Sunday evening.
The airport encouraged travelers to find alternate parking or use taxis or ride-sharing services to get to and from the Northside airport.
The hourly parking garage is a parking structure located directly across from the airport terminal, with an upper-level drop-off area for departing passengers and a lower-level pick-up area for arriving passengers separating the two buildings.
The daily parking garage structure and daily surface lot parking extend out beyond the hourly parking garage, which is used most often for short stays at the airport to drop off or pick up family members or friends who are traveling to and from the airport. The ground floor of the facility also houses several rental car pick-up and drop-off facilities.
What’s next: Heading to JIA? Parking options limited after fire sweeps through airport parking garage
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville airport parking garage fire photos
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