A house fire on Banyan Circle in Jupiter Village just after 8 p.m. Wednesday became the first residential blaze handled by Jupiter’s brand-new municipal fire department, less than two weeks after it took over from Palm Beach County. Firefighters from all three of the town’s stations arrived within five minutes to find heavy smoke and flames, but everyone inside got out safely and no injuries were reported.
Jupiter Fire Rescue and Jupiter police responded together to the fire, according to WPBF, which reported that Jupiter Police Department drones arrived ahead of the fire crews and fed back information that helped them prepare their response before they even pulled up. Crews quickly brought the fire under control once on scene, the station reported. It marked the department’s first residential structure fire since the city’s own fire agency took over service from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue on Oct. 1.
The family living in the home evacuated safely, but the house itself was a total loss. Family members found temporary accommodations with nearby relatives and were referred to the American Red Cross for additional assistance, per the same WPBF report. No further details about the residents or the cause of the fire have been released.
A New Department’s First Big Test
Jupiter Fire Rescue described the Banyan Circle fire as an example of the training, preparation and coordination the department has built with Jupiter police, and said it was proud to partner with the police department on a complete public safety approach in the town, the station’s report notes. The response drew on all three of Jupiter’s fire stations, which the Town of Jupiter says are strategically positioned throughout the community. Ninety-four firefighters are spread across those three stations and three shifts, the station’s report adds…