A lightning strike sparked a three-alarm fire that destroyed an apartment building at Cobalt Apartments in Wesley Chapel on Thursday afternoon, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue. Dozens of units were evacuated and about 200 residents were displaced.
WHO:Pasco County Fire Rescue; residents of Cobalt Apartments
WHAT:Lightning sparked a three-alarm apartment fire that destroyed a building, triggering evacuations and displacing about 200 residents.
WHEN:Reported Aug 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM ET
WHERE:Tampa, FL
WHY:The fire was sparked by a lightning strike, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue.
How this story developed (showing 8 of 8 earlier reports)
