From Celebration to Smoke: Help Float8 Fort Lauderdale Rebuild After the Fire

Just hours before, we were finalizing our 5-year anniversary message for Float8 Fort Lauderdale - ready to celebrate five incredible years of helping our community relax, recover and reset. Then, in the early morning hours of October 8th, our story took yet another unexpected turn in the entrepreneurial journey of Float8 - one sure to become an unforgettable chapter in the future book of our story.

At 1am - while we all slept, our alarm company called to report that we'd lost AC power and was now functioning on back-up power. At 1:37 - we received a second call informing us that our alarm was now completely offline. What we didn't know yet was that a lithium-ion battery - possibly from a headlamp or something left in lost and found - had spontaneously combusted in our laundry room. The fire burned quietly through the night and wasn't discovered until 11am, when our Team8 Thomas arrived to find it still burning - nearly 10 hours later.

Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the fire stayed contained to that small room. But smoke and soot filled the entire float center. We lost our washer, dryer, shelving and a significant portion of our inventory. Miraculously, every float tank and our filter room on the other side of the wall survived untouched.

For the first 10 days, our dedicated Team8s worked tirelessly - scrubbing walls, ceilings, tanks and floors to remove smoke residue. Their hands-on effort got us to a point where we could finally afford to bring in a professional restoration company to finish the job.

We've since replaced most of our ductwork and deep-cleaned the entire HVAC system, thanks to the float lovers at Absolute AC & Duct Repair, who stepped up and prioritized getting us back up and running as soon as they could. That's real community.

We paused all memberships to avoid charging anyone while we were closed, and we're incredibly grateful for the patience and support of our float family. Communication could've been better - but the truth is, we were navigating a situation we'd never faced before.

Now, after three weeks closed, we are reopen stronger, cleaner and more grateful than ever.

After a few challenging years - from health department hurdles in Orlando to build-out delays in Delray and even a roof leak here in Fort Lauderdale - our cash flow is tight. This fire was a tough blow, but we're determined to rise from it.

If floating or Float8 has had a positive impact on you or someone you love, please consider supporting our recovery in any of the following ways:

Donate here on GoFundMe

Purchase a Package or Gift Certificate

Contribute to our Don8 Program to help others in need float

Every contribution - big or small - helps us get back to what we love: helping people feel better and perform at their best.

With gratitude and focus,

Matt Beck & the Float8 Team8s