By Taylor M. Coffman
Herald Correspondent
Some 85 units at the Pebble Creek Apartments in Lake Mary were evacuated on Mar 25 after an investigation by Seminole County government officials raised major safety concerns that could have put tenants in danger.
The complex’s safety issues were first brought to light after the Seminole County Fire Department responded to a stairwell fire on Feb 27, 2026. Reports indicate that the fire was started due to “unpermitted welding activities occurring at [the] stair system” in building #717, which then caused the building’s wood elements to ignite. In the process of extinguishing the fire, firefighters were forced to open the building’s exterior wall, which revealed larger safety concerns that led down to the building’s foundations.
In the final report published by Seminole County’s Development Services’ Building Division, the Fire Department is said to have uncovered “severely deteriorated” framing in the building’s exterior walls and second floor, which sparked a formal investigation into the safety of not only building #717, but the Pebble Creek complex at large.
The investigation, which concluded on Mar 20, revealed concerns about deterioration in various load-bearing parts of building #717’s exterior and second floor, while also uncovering “severe deterioration” in the exterior stairs, which are the only entry and exit point for second-floor residents.
The investigation’s initial findings, when combined with complaints from Pebble Creek tenants, prompted a building-by-building inspection of the entire complex. In their final report, investigators noted that the compromised elements of building #717 “could fall at any time”, while the second floor of building #725 was noted to have faulty support for its second floor and “compromised structural elements” in its second-floor stairs.
“Nearly every buildings’ stair systems, the second-floor landings, and raised floor system show signs of inadequate maintenance, disrepair and deterioration due to age,” reported investigators. “A total of 53 stair systems, spread across 21 buildings, were observed to be structurally unsound due to missing attachments to the building, deteriorated supporting elements, and level of decay.”
In the wake of the safety investigation, building #717, building #725, and the stair systems noted above were all marked as Dangerous, unsafe, non-occupiable, and non-accessible. According to Seminole County officials, a total of 85 units, of the complex’s total 472, have been evacuated from both buildings due to “severe structural concerns.” There is no count for how many tenants were evacuated, though 16 of the affected units were vacant.
Going forward, Seminole County officials have required that every building in the Pebble Creek complex undergo a thorough inspection by a structural engineer to determine the current state of all exterior walls, load-bearing elements, stair systems, railings, guardrails, landings, and elevated walking paths. Any damage found during the inspection will have to be fully replaced. The County’s Code Enforcement team will also be inspecting the complex to note any potential violations of building or fire codes, and any violations uncovered during that process will be required to be permitted by licensed contractors.
