More than 350 Orange County residents were evacuated from their apartments Thursday morning after firefighters discovered visible structural damage throughout the Rialto Apartment Complex, with trapped residents forced to escape through windows and broken doors.
Doors Jammed as Building Shows Failure
Orange County Fire Rescue responded to 7343 West Sand Lake Road in Orlando around 5 a.m. after residents reported loud popping sounds and discovered their front doors jammed shut. One woman told Channel 9 she kicked out her living room window after noticing wall cracks, describing the ordeal as the scariest moment of her life. Firefighters had to break down doors to reach trapped residents.
Arlina Aguirre, returning from her nursing shift at a local hospital, found herself unable to exit when fire crews arrived. She managed to grab only her keys, cellphone, and her son’s dog Daisy before evacuation. Division Chief William Farhat described the damage as obvious to the naked eye, noting visible cracking around fire doors and residential units throughout the structure. The Orange County Division of Building Safety confirmed the evacuation was necessary after assessing the scene.
Surfside Disaster Memories Haunt Residents
Gabriel Santos, another displaced resident, told Channel 9 the situation reminded him of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside that killed 98 people on June 24, 2021. Santos described waking up to emergency vehicles surrounding the property, saying it was not every day your home was caving in. Officials acknowledged they wanted to prevent another Miami situation, though no timeline exists for when residents might return.
Families Seek Temporary Housing
The complex’s management hired a private structural engineering firm from Fort Myers to evaluate the building’s integrity. The American Red Cross and Orange County Department of Emergency Management are coordinating housing assistance for displaced families. Multiple hotels, including Rosen Hotels and Resorts properties, Doubletree Theme Park Resort, and Courtyard by Marriott near Universal Orlando, are offering discounted rates to evacuated residents who mention the Rialto evacuation. Residents needing assistance with accommodations can contact Rialto Property Management at 407-630-8718, option two, though uncertainty remains about when they can safely return home to retrieve their belongings.