Action News Jax: Jacksonville Beach Fire Destroys Building, Displaces Six

A Sunday afternoon fire at a mixed-use building along 3rd Street South in Jacksonville Beach displaced six people and destroyed a tattoo shop and residential apartments, according to Action News Jax.

Flames Tear Through Mixed-Use Structure on 3rd Street South

The fire broke out around 3:30 p.m., bringing a rapid response from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. The three-story structure housed a smoke shop on the first floor, Black Label Tattoo on the second floor, and three residential apartments across its upper levels. First-floor units sustained the most visible structural damage, while flames and smoke pushed upward into the living spaces.

No human injuries were reported during the incident. However, the toll on the building’s occupants and their animals proved severe. Charles McNinch, who operated Black Label Tattoo on the second floor and lived on the first floor, reported losing his business, his home, and three pets—two cats and a bird.

“I lost my animals. I lost my business. I got nothing now,” McNinch said, noting that his immediate priority remained locating the remains of his cat to bury him.

Contrasting Accounts of Property Conditions Precede the Blaze

Displaced residents offered differing perspectives on the state of the building prior to the Sunday afternoon fire. McNinch pointed to persistent structural and utility failures at the property. “From the beginning, I didn’t have heat. There’s been electrical problems. There’s been rodent problems. There’s been holes in my walls from the ceiling,” McNinch said.

Stacy Rogers, who lived on the third floor with her husband, daughter, two granddaughters, and their dog, described a harrowing escape sparked by her husband taking out the trash. According to Rogers’ account reported by Action News Jax, her husband heard a popping sound and noticed an electrical smell before discovering the fire on the first floor. Rogers stated that her husband ran to alert the four clients inside the tattoo shop while she evacuated her family and their dog.

Rogers asserted that tenants had experienced ongoing issues and claimed the building lacked functioning smoke detectors. She stated that residents had attempted to find alternative housing over the previous six months because conditions had deteriorated.

Fire Marshal Investigates Cause While Red Cross Assists Displaced

The Jacksonville Beach Fire Marshal’s Office launched an investigation on Monday to determine the exact origin and cause of the fire. Fire code enforcement and life safety officials continue to examine the scene, though a definitive cause had not been established by Monday.

In the wake of the destruction, the American Red Cross stepped in to assist the six displaced individuals. Rogers and her family relocated temporarily to an Airbnb provided for one week while community members and employers offered immediate support.

For McNinch, the path forward remains clouded by uncertainty as he processes the total loss of his livelihood and personal belongings. Tenants work to salvage wearable clothing and personal items from the damaged structure.