The Rialto Apartments: 398 evacuated over 'structural instability'; new photos released
Crumbling complex forces people from homes, authorities say
Nearly 400 residents were forced out of an apartment complex in Orange County after officials deemed the building unsafe due to structural concerns. The evacuation happened early Thursday at the Rialto complex in the Doctor Phillips area after reports of cracking and unusual noises. A resident said she had to be rescued when her door would not open.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Nearly 400 people were evacuated from The Rialto Apartments on Thursday morning after concerns were raised about the building's "structural instability," according to Orange County Government and Orange County Fire Rescue.
Residents began calling 911 around 4 a.m. claiming that their doors had been jammed and that they were unable to open them. Another caller, officials said, said she could hear "popping noises" and feared the 5-story apartment building was going to collapse.
Big picture view:
The apartment complex is located on W. Sand Lake Road. It's part of a mixed-use building, where several businesses are located beneath the apartments.
Orange County's Building Division of Building Safety has ordered the building's property management company to hire a licensed engineer or architect to conduct a complete evacuation of the building. Residents cannot return home until that happens.
Photos show cracks, damage inside the building
The Orange County's Building Department released several photos taken inside and outside The Rialto Apartments on Thursday.
Officials have not yet made a determination about the building's integrity nor the cause of several of the cracks noticed in the photos. The photos show various cracks near several doors.
Other photos showed cracks on the outside of the building. Again, it's unclear if all the cracks are related, independent of each other, nor if there is an overarching cause.
What they're saying:
"At the time of our inspection, it was not determined that the building was in imminent danger of immediate collapse," Orange County's Division of Building Safety said in a statement to FOX 35.
"Once we receive the structural evaluation, we will have a better understanding if this was damage that developed slowly over time or if there was something that caused immediate movement in the structure."
911 calls: ‘Popping noises'; trapped in their apartments; fear of collapse
What we know:
Around 4 a.m., a woman called 911 after she was unable to open her apartment door and was trapped inside. That woman also told 911 dispatchers that she could hear "popping noises" and was afraid that the building was going to collapse.
Officials responded and reportedly noticed several cracks inside and outside the apartment complex, raising concerns about the building's structural integrity. Firefighters had to pry open several doors, which has suddenly become jammed, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.
A decision was made to then evacuate the building as fast as possible.
We "had to force her door open in order to get her out of the building," Farhat said of the tenant who lived on the fifth floor of the building.
Orange County inspector: Every floor has some signs of cracking, damage
An inspector – Gilbert Mercado – with the Orange County Division of Building Safety said the signs of damage got worse higher up in the building.
A woman told FOX 35 she grabbed a bag and packed her medication as fast as possible.
"It still feels like a dream to me," she said.
"We're just waiting to see what's going to happen to us," Asaid rlina Aguirre, who lives on the fourth floor with her dog.
What do we know about The Rialto Apartments?
The Rialto Apartments are located at 7343 Sand Lake Road in Orlando.
According to Orange County officials, a total of 398 people were evacuated from the apartment complex on Thursday. The complex has 200 units and was 93% occupied, officials said.
It has five floors, as well as a parking garage.
Businesses within the building – including Sage Dental & Orthodontics, Stretch Lab and Melt N Dip – were also evacuated, officials said.
When was the building last inspected?
Farhat said the last inspection on the building was conducted in September 2025. During that inspection, there weren't any signs of building instability, he said.
The building was built in 2014, county records show. Construction was conducted by developer Wood Partners in 2013.
Orlando hotels offer discounts to those impacts
Several hotels are offering discounted rooms to those residents impacted by the sudden evacuation, including Roden Hotels & Resorts, Doubletrete Theme Park Resort, and Courtyard by Marriott, according to Orange County Government.
Residents have to mention that they're impacted by The Rialto apartment evacuation, officials said.
Orange County's Office of Emergency Management, Visit Orlando, and the American Red Cross are also working to assist. Lynx provided a bus for temporary shelter Thursday morning due to the cold temperatures.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Orange County Fire Rescue.