Downed power line sparks fire at decades-old Citrus County funeral home, fire officials say

BEVERLY HILLS, Fla. - A decades-old funeral home in Citrus County was severely damaged after catching on fire. The flames caused part of the roof to collapse at Fero Funeral Home Crematory and Memorial Gardens on North Lecanto Highway in Beverly Hills.

Citrus County Fire Rescue says it was a downed power line that sparked the fire. Just after 11:30 Wednesday morning, firefighters from multiple agencies arrived to find heavy smoke and live power lines down on the side of the main building.

Firefighters from Pine Ridge, DeRosa, Homosassa, Kensington, Connell Heights, Hernando, Citrus Springs, Sugarmill Woods, 2 battalion chiefs, 3 chief officers, Fire Marshal, a Safety Captain, and the Rehab Unit from Citrus Springs responded to the scene.

The fire, which appeared to be contained to the attic, led to a partial roof collapse. It took about an hour to tackle the main fire. A second building also caught on fire but was quickly under control.

Fortunately, everyone got out safely. Officials say no remains were on scene. But they did safely remove a few urns.

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CCFR reports that about 80% of the main building was damaged. About 10% of the second building sustained damage. What brought down the power lines is under investigation. However, it's believed to be accidental.

"We're just in shock," said Kimberly Fero Richie, daughter of "Lanny" Fero who founded the funeral home in 1973.

Though the Fero family sold the business years ago, the sight of the damage is devastating.

"Dad, that was his dream, you know, to build that business and to serve the public," Richie said.

From typing prayer cards to meticulously maintaining the grounds, the Feros took great pride in caring for the community.

"He worked very hard for it, and we all helped him along the way," Richie said. "We were proud of it."

The current owners of Fero Funeral Home said, "Fortunately, there were no injuries and all loved ones in our care are safe thanks to our local first responders who arrived quickly."

Though they do not know the full extent of the damage, They say they'll be communicating directly with client families regarding upcoming services.