OAKLAND PARK, Fla. — Early Monday morning, Barry Smith said he was home in Oakland Park when he smelled something burning.
Smith said he walked outside of his apartment to investigate when he saw smoke coming out of his neighbor’s window.
Smith’s neighbors in the one-story building with seven units at 4451 NE 19 Terrace said his quick action saved lives and minimized damage.
“I grabbed my phone and ran around to start waking up people,” Smith said.
According to Oakland Park Fire Rescue, firefighters responded to the fire shortly after 5:30 a.m., and a man had suffered second-degree burns and smoke inhalation.
Smith said the man who was hospitalized was his neighbor, “Woody,” who didn’t respond when he called him to get out of the apartment.
“I said, ‘Oh! He is probably passed out from the smoke!”
From the outside, the trail of damage appeared to indicate that the fire had started in the kitchen, by the stove. Firefighters had yet to release information.
There was also a wheelchair and a walker left behind in the unit. Neighbors said “Woody” had survived a motorcycle crash and lived with disabilities.
Wayne Grabiec, a neighbor, said his unit was barely damaged.
“Luckily, no fire got into the roof for us and didn’t spread,” Grabiec said.
Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.
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