MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Jayme Benmeleh’s said the Florida Power & Light Company was to blame for the fire that burned down her house earlier this year in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
Her husband, Michael Benmeleh, said FPL employees responded in August to their home in the Highland Lakes neighborhood after a power outage.
“It hurts a lot just to see my house like this. We put a lot into our home,” Jayme Benmeleh said.
An investigation by the Miami-Dade Fire Department after the fire revealed the FPL technician’s faulty equipment is what started the fire.
“Accidents happen, but silence is inexcusable,” Michael Behnmeleh said on Wednesday about the way FPL handled the situation.
“Forget about the financial loss; there is a sentimental level, reaching out, ‘How can we help?’”
Jack Benmeleh, the family attorney, said it has been four months since the fire left the family of six homeless and FPL has yet to take any action.
The experience was traumatic. Jayme Benmeleh was home with her four children. The baby was sleeping when the fire started. She grabbed the baby and evacuated with her kids. She said it was shocking that FPL never contacted them.
“I was not expecting them to never reach out.”
An FPL spokesman responded to inquiries from Local 10 News with a statement, saying:
“I am unable to discuss the specifics of this case due to our privacy policy regarding customer information. I can tell you that we carefully consider claims made by customers based on whether there was an issue with FPL equipment or other factors that suggest the company’s actions caused damage to customer property. For more information, please contact the Miami-Dade Police Department and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.”