On the night of October 7th, I was finalizing our message to celebrate five years of Float8 Fort Lauderdale. We were ready to acknowledge the journey, the challenges, and the community we’ve grown alongside.
Just hours later, in the early morning of October 8th, everything changed.
A lithium-ion battery spontaneously combusted in our laundry room, causing a fire that burned quietly through the night before being discovered late the next morning. Thankfully, the fire was contained to a small area and no one was hurt, but smoke and soot travelled throughout the entire center, requiring extensive cleanup and restoration.
This was not just an operational setback – it was an emotional one.
We have invested so much heart, energy, and purpose into Float8. To see it damaged and to not know what would happen next was difficult for our entire team. And in that uncertainty, our communication suffered. We weren’t withholding the truth – we were overwhelmed, exhausted, and trying to figure out what came next.
The Cleanup Effort
For the first 10 days, our Team8s worked nonstop, scrubbing, cleaning, and restoring with their own hands.
Special thank you to:
- Gianna & Thomas – for the long days and nights
- Palm Build – for stepping in and going above and beyond
- Absolute AC & Duct Repair – who repaired and cleaned our entire HVAC system in exchange for floats
Reopening
After 20.5 days closed, Float8 Fort Lauderdale is officially back open.
We are still completing some final restoration steps, but the center is clean, safe and ready for you.
How to Support
If you or someone you love has been positively affected by Float8, and you have the means to help, here are meaningful ways to support our recovery:
- Buy a package
- Purchase a gift card
- Make a Don8ion
- Contribute to our Float8 FTL Fire Recovery GoFundMe
No amount is too small.
Just knowing you’re with us means the world to us.
Thank you for being part of the Float8 story – past, present and future.
