Woman Critically Injured in Condo Fire

August 9 Update: Stacy Crawford, who is the daughter of fire victim, Patricia Crawford, tells Palm Harbor Patch that her mother suffered burns on 50 percent of her body and has a breathing tube to assist her breathing. The doctor told Stacy that her mother is in very critical condition. Our thoughts are with the Crawford family during this very difficult time.

A Palm Harbor woman is in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital's burn unit after she was rescued from her burning home at Wedgewood Condos.

Palm Harbor Firefighters responded to a 911 call about the fire around 12:42 p.m. Tuesday. The caller said there was a woman trapped inside her burning townhouse at 2707 11th Court, according to Palm Harbor Fire Rescue Spokesperson Liz Monforti.

Two firefighters entered the home and rescued Patricia Crawford, 67, who was unconscious and had collapsed on the floor. Monforti says firefighters had to remove something that was on top of Crawford. Monforti did not know what the object was.

Patricia Crawford's daughter Stacy, 44, lives with her mother at the two-story condo. While firefighters made sure the fire inside the condo was extinguished, Crawford stood outside in the parking lot, visibly shaken. She was crying as she told Palm Harbor Patch that she had no idea how the blaze started.

"I don't know what happened. I was only gone 15 minutes. ... When I left, she was watching the news and drinking coffee."

Crawford said she called 911 after returning home from a trip to the post office.

"I opened the front door and all this smoke just hit me," she said.

"I screamed my mom's name, but she wouldn't answer. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't breathe."

Crawford says she takes care of her mother at the condo.

Palm Harbor Fire Rescue Chief James Angle says firefighters arrived at the home about six minutes after receiving the 911 call. "We're glad we got her out when we did, speed is of the essence," he said.

"The guys did a great job."

A Bayflite medical emergency helicopter landed at to pick up Patricia Crawford. She was then airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. Wednesday morning, a hospital spokesperson said Crawford is in critical condition.

Palm Harbor Patch spoke to Stacy Crawford on Tuesday evening. She was at Tampa General Hospital waiting to hear an update about her mother's condition. She says that her mother is in the ICU burn unit and doctors have not told her anything about her condition. 

Crawford says she and her mother and two cats had only lived in the condo for two months. They recently moved there from the Cove Cay apartments in Clearwater. Crawford says one of the cats died in the blaze. The second cat has not been found. 

A cause of the fire has not yet been determined, according to Angle. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Arson Investigation Team is assisting the State Fire Marshall with the investigation, which is standard procedure, according to Angle.

Firefighters from Safety Harbor and East Lake also responded to the blaze.