Firefighting efforts force closure of part of Beneva Road

Sarasota County fire crews are on the scene of a major structural fire at Beneva Ridge Apartments, 4001 Beneva Road, in Sarasota, the county Communications Department has announced.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is assisting in directing traffic around the fire in the area of Beneva Road south of Bee Ridge. The office advised in a news release that the northbound lanes of Beneva Road would be closed from Wilkinson Road to Bee Ridge Road until further notice.

The fire started around 2 p.m. and has escalated to a four-alarm event, a county news release says. No injuries had been reported was of 4 p.m.

The Red Cross is on the scene to assist displaced homeowners, the county news release says.