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Jogger, Neighbors Unable To Save Man From Fire In Dunedin

News Channel 8 photo by ERIC HAUSMANN

Firefighters surround a home at 3067 Belcher Road in Dunedin. A man died in the early-morning blaze.

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

Updated: 07/09/2008 02:19 pm

DUNEDIN - Despite rescue attempts by an early-morning jogger and neighbors, a 58-year-old man died in a fire at his apartment this morning, witnesses and fire officials said.

His identity was being withheld because relatives had not been notified, said Bill McElligott, a division chief and fire marshal for Dunedin Fire Rescue. A diabetic who worked for Sears Holding Corp., the victim was described as a nice person.

About 4:45 a.m., a jogger was passing the victim's apartment at 3067 Belcher Road when he noticed the blaze, McElligott said. The jogger roused the occupants of the other three apartments in the one-story building by shouting and knocking on doors. All three escaped unharmed.

One of them is Bill Dooley. As soon as Dooley stepped outside, he said, the flames caused the front window in the victim's apartment to crackle and shatter. About then, he told the jogger there was someone inside the burning apartment, and the jogger kicked the door ajar. The flames grew in intensity.

After Steve O'Brien, who lives next door to the victim, stepped outside, "the whole house looked like 'Backdraft,' the movie," O'Brien said.

O'Brien said he grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it into the entrance of the apartment. Meanwhile, O'Brien's girlfriend grabbed a hose and sprayed it inside. The flames were too strong, O'Brien said.

"There was not much more we could do," O'Brien said. "All we could do was scream for him to run for the door."

Meanwhile, a neighbor in a different apartment building heard the jogger shouting and called 911.

After firefighters arrived, they dragged the body of the victim to a patch of grass and tried to revive him, but it was too late, Dooley said.

"It's a sad way to go," O'Brien said.

O'Brien, O'Brien's girlfriend, and Dooley have been offered vouchers by the American Red Cross to stay in a Super 8 motel at 22950 U.S. 19 for three nights.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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