ROSEMARY BEACH, Fla. – South Walton Fire District firefighters responded to a residential structure fire around midnight Friday in Rosemary Beach.

The incident originated at 12:34 a.m. when SWFD Dispatchers received a 911 call reporting a large, three-story home on fire on N. Winston Lane. The fire was also threatening multiple, neighboring homes.

Firefighters from Engine 1, Rescue 1, and Engine 6 arrived on-scene at 12:40 a.m. and encountered heavy fire conditions, then requested an additional alarm, which brings in resources from all five SWFD fire stations.

First-arriving crews initiated their fire attack to extinguish the flames and protect the neighboring homes. The firefight and overhaul continued for several hours due to the size of the residence involved.

Multiple people were asleep inside the home when the fire started but managed to escape. SWFD firefighters evaluated one of the occupants for burn injuries and transported them to a local medical facility for further treatment. No other injuries were reported.

The SWFD Fire Marshal and State Fire Marshal’s Office are actively investigating the cause of the fire at the time of this release. While the fire did not impact any neighboring homes, it did cause heavy damage to the residence where it started.

SWFD thanks the responding Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies and mutual aid partners for their assistance throughout the incident. The District also extends its support to the impacted property owners and occupants.