A commercial structure fire Monday evening destroyed a Rent-A-Center store and caused smoke damage to several adjacent businesses – including Queen of Flavor – at the Choctaw Plaza shopping center on Racetrack Road NW.
- The Fort Walton Beach Fire Department received a 911 call around 8 p.m. on Feb. 23. Firefighters arrived minutes later to find heavy smoke and flames showing from the Rent-A-Center furniture store on the west side of the shopping center at 119 Racetrack Road NW.
Due to the size of the building and the extent of fire involvement, the incident was quickly elevated to a three-alarm response to bring in additional manpower.
About 10 firefighting vehicles and 35 personnel from the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department, Ocean City-Wright Fire Control District and Okaloosa Island Fire Department responded to battle the blaze.
Crews launched an aggressive interior offensive attack, working to contain the fire to its point of origin. After an extensive operation, firefighters brought the blaze under control in approximately 30 minutes and prevented it from spreading to adjacent businesses.
The Rent-A-Center sustained significant damage and property loss. Smoke from the fire spread through the building’s roof and damaged several other businesses located within the same building.
- No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, and no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause and origin of the fire. No further information was available as of Tuesday.
The Fort Walton Beach Fire Department thanked its mutual aid partners at Ocean City-Wright Fire Control District and Okaloosa Island Fire Department for assisting with the fire, as well as Eglin Air Force Base Fire Department for providing district coverage during the incident.
