BROOKSVILLE FL. – At 1:58 a.m. Hernando County Fire and Emergency Services (HCFES) & Brooksville Fire Department responded to a reported fire in the 800 block of St. Francis St.
Officials say the call came in by the homeowner, who was confined to a wheelchair. She reported her bedroom was on fire and unable to escape.
Four Hernando County Deputies, K. Keiper, D. Hadsell, M. Beebe, and E. Croan, arrived on scene and rushed into the burning home to locate the elderly woman.
Deputies quickly located the woman in her bedroom, which was actively on fire.
Deputies Keiper, Hadsell, and Beebe lifted her out of her bed and carried her into the living room.
Deputies Beebe and Croan then proceeded to carry the woman out of the home and place her in a wheelchair a safe distance from the burning home.
Deputies were also able to save two dogs who were also trapped in the burning home.
Hernando County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services arrived on scene within a few minutes to extinguish the fire and tend to the injured woman who sustained severe burns to both arms and legs.
The fire resulted in a heavy damage to the bedroom. The origin and cause of the fire was reported as a cigarette near the patient’s oxygen cannula, which caught the bedsheets on fire.
The Florida State Fire Marshall was notified of the fire. The patient was transported to the hospital for evaluation and discharged with family several hours later. The occupant will be staying with family and Red Cross was notified for assistance.
None of the deputies who entered the burning home sustained injuries.
HCFES and BFD responded with 3 fire engines, 1 Ladder Truck, 2 ALS medic units, Fire Corps, and 3 Battalion Chiefs for a total of 16 personnel.