A homeowner was stranded just feet from a burning Flagler County home Friday when deputies arrived to find thick smoke pouring from the property. The man could not walk, leaving rescuers to battle the flames and get him out before the fire crews arrived.
According to WSVN 7News, a passing driver flagged down Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies after spotting heavy smoke coming from the home. Deputies searched around the property and heard someone yelling for help from the rear patio.
“Sheriff’s Office!” one deputy called out, prompting the trapped homeowner to answer, “I’m here, come in!” Deputies found him on the ground only a few feet from the flames, unable to walk away on his own.
Deputies Used Fire Extinguisher During Rescue
One deputy used a fire extinguisher to keep the blaze from advancing while other deputies helped the homeowner back onto his feet and moved him to safety. Firefighters arrived shortly afterward and extinguished the fire, and the homeowner was expected to be OK.
Another Flagler Deputy Recently Fought A Home Fire
The rescue comes weeks after another Flagler County deputy used an agency-issued fire extinguisher during a Palm Coast kitchen fire. WESH 2 reported that Deputy Christopher Murphy entered the home after confirming residents had escaped and suppressed a grease fire until Palm Coast and county firefighters arrived.
Similar split-second rescues have also unfolded elsewhere in northeast Florida this summer. In June, News4JAX reported that Nassau County deputies escorted a homeowner out of a smoke-filled Yulee residence before firefighters extinguished a kitchen fire.
Officials have not publicly identified the Flagler County homeowner or released the cause of Friday’s blaze in the initial report. The early account from WSVN 7News said the homeowner was expected to recover.
