WEIRSDALE, FL (352today.com) – Firefighters from across Marion County responded to a three-alarm commercial structure fire early in the morning on Sunday, July 19, 2026, that heavily damaged a factory building in Weirsdale.
Marion County Fire Rescue was dispatched at 4:02 a.m. Sunday to the 16600 block of S. U.S. Hwy 25 after multiple 911 callers reported a large commercial building on fire. According to MCFR, the first arriving crew from Engine 27 reached the scene within minutes and found a 25,000-square-foot, two-story commercial building with approximately half of the structure engulfed in flames, with fire extending through the roof.
Firefighters immediately began an offensive attack while additional units were called to the scene, escalating the response to a third alarm. As conditions worsened, crews encountered a partial structural collapse, downed power lines and rapidly changing fire behavior. Firefighters shifted their focus to protecting nearby homes, neighboring businesses and surrounding wooded areas while continuing suppression efforts.
Firefighters from South Marion Station 6, The Villages Station 10, Shady Station 16, Silver Springs Shores Station 17, Belleview Station 18, Rolling Greens Station 28, Spruce Creek Station 30, Friendship Station 10 and The Villages Fire Department assisted with the response.
The fire was declared under control at 5:04 a.m., about one hour after the first firefighters arrived. Crews remained at the scene Sunday morning extinguishing hot spots and conducting overhaul operations.
No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation.
