CLEARWATER, Fla. – An early morning fire tore through a vacant motel on Clearwater Beach today, drawing a massive emergency response to the tourist hotspot.
Clearwater Fire & Rescue crews rushed to the 400 block of East Shore Drive after receiving a call at 3:45 a.m. reporting that flames had broken out at the abandoned property. The incident quickly escalated, forcing officials to call in a second alarm to bring additional equipment and personnel to the scene.
When the first firefighting units arrived, they encountered heavy fire already pouring from the roof of the structure. Teams immediately began defensive operations to contain the blaze and keep it from spreading to nearby properties…