Tenant Warns Residents To Get Out Of Burning Apartment Building

WINTER HAVEN, FL — An alert apartment resident smelled smoke Wednesday, found a fire in another unit and raced throughout the building to evacuate other residents and a dog with a litter of puppies, fire officials said.

Building tenant Christopher Klimczak smelled smoke and became concerned so he searched for the odor and found a mattress on fire in one of the upstairs rooms, the fire department said in a news release. The tenant who lived in that unit was not home.

Klimczak tried to put the flames out but was unsuccessful as the flames grew stronger and continued to burn throughout the building. He ran to other apartments in the building and told tenants they needed to get out immediately because of a fire.

The tenants' lives weren't the only concern, a dog and her puppies needed to be rescued, too. Klimczak helped get the dogs out of the smoke-filled building and to safety, authorities said.

Winter Haven Fire Department Firefighters responded to the two-story structure fire at 540 Avenue A NE after a 9-1-1 call was made at 7:50 p.m.

Firefighters arrived and saw flames covered the upstairs with heavy smoke billowing from the building. Power lines outside the building were still live, said authorities. Forty-five minutes later, the fire was under control.

Fourteen residents live in the building and every person safely escaped.

The dog had minor smoke inhalation but is expected to fully recover.

The Red Cross has assisted with accommodations for the residents. Fire investigators ruled the fire as accidental, and appeared to have started in a power strip that was plugged in, authorities said.

Here are fire prevention tips from the Department of Homeland Security's website:

Cooking

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time turn off the stove.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
• Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of three feet around the stove.
• Position barbecue grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

Smoking

• Smoke outside and completely stub-out butts in an ashtray or a can filled with sand.
• Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster.
• Be alert – don’t smoke in bed! If you are sleepy, have been drinking or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first.

Electrical and Appliance Safety

• Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.
• If an appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
• Immediately shut off, then professionally replace, light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker.