TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Plant City Mansion's Owner Contemplates Blaze From Miles Away

Photo from Evan Maples

Twenty-two units and more than 50 firefighters from Hillsborough County and Plant City battled a blaze at 1716 Charleston Woods Court in Plant City on Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

By GEORGE WILKENS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 29, 2008

Updated: 06/30/2008 05:47 pm

PLANT CITY - Batista Madonia III was 400 miles away when he got the call from the alarm company: his Plant City house was on fire.

"As soon as they called me, I called them," he said of his wife and daughter who were - he was relieved to learn - safe, away from the home.

That was the only good news he would get.

The Sunday afternoon fire gutted his spacious house in a gated part of Walden Lake, Plant City's largest development, destroying virtually all of its contents. Authorities conservatively estimate the loss at $3 million to $4 million.

Even worse, Jezebel, the family's Yorkie, died in the blaze, Madonia said today in a telephone interview from Beaufort, S.C., where he has been working for the past month. He is vice president and sales manager of the family-owned business, East Coast Growers & Packers based in Mulberry, one of the state's largest growers of tomatoes.

His parents, Evelyn and Batista Madonia, own the Red Rose Inn and Suites, one of Plant City's largest hotels.

"As soon as there was smoke there, the alarm went off," said Madonia, 40, who got the call on his cellular phone at 5:40 p.m., he said.

His wife and daughter, who were dining out at the time, rushed home, hoping to rescue the family's 4-year-old dog trapped inside the five-bedroom, five-bath house at 1716 Charleston Woods Court.

Firefighters were already on the scene. "They wouldn't let them get close to the house" because of the intense heat, Madonia said. His wife of about 20 years, Tamela, has been crying nonstop and repeatedly screaming the dog's name, he said.

He said he has no clue how the fire started, but has seen photos of the devastation. Only a golf cart and two custom motorcycles in the garage escaped destruction, he said.

More than 70 firefighters and 22 emergency vehicles from Plant City and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded to the four-alarm blaze, brought under control at 10:30 p.m., Plant City Fire Rescue Capt. Jim Wilson said.

The fire presented "some very specific challenges," including a driveway of at least 500 feet necessitating they lay a great deal of hose to ensure an adequate supply of water from curbside hydrants, Wilson said.

Wilson said the first firefighters arrived to find one portion of the house "heavily involved," and immediately initiated "an aggressive attempt" to extinguish the flames. Quickly, "It became apparent the fire had spread into the attic."

"The other challenge: This house was extremely well-constructed," Wilson said. The metal roof and double-pane windows built to withstand hurricane-strength winds contained heat and evidence of the fire, delaying the string of calls to 911 that started at 5:28 p.m., he said.

Normally, to battle flames in an attic, firefighters use a chainsaw to cut through the traditional plywood and shingle roof. "With a metal roof it's a whole different ballgame," Wilson said.

Neighbor Patti Giangreco of 2803 Clubhouse Drive spotted the fire when leaving to go to dinner.

"We walked out and just saw a plume of black smoke" coming from the house off Fairway Drive on the golf course, she said. Many residents were on the golf course taking photographs of the flaming house, she added "I hate to say it, but it was spectacular." She added, "They did a great job putting it out. It was a gorgeous house."

When Giangreco returned from dinner around 9:30 the house was still ablaze. She saw firefighters attempt to break windows, but their tools initially bounced off the reinforced glass, she said. Despite the heat, the windows remained intact. "Nothing popped, they just melted," she said.

Built in 2003, the two-story house has 7,930 square feet, with 6,800 of that space air-conditioned, according to property records.

No injuries to firefighters were reported.

Investigators from the Tampa office of the state fire marshal were on the scene today. Spokesman Sam Venzeio said that as a matter of routine, the agency's dog trained to detect accelerants, a white Labrador named Misty, was deployed. It will be Tuesday or later before a suspected cause can be identified, Venzeio said.

Reporter Ray Reyes contributed to this report. Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at gwilkens@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT