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St. Pete Sanitation Worker Helps Save Family From Fire

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By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 17, 2009

A St. Petersburg sanitation worker turned into a rescuer this morning, helping two adults and a child escape from a burning house, officials said.

Robert Conrad Jr., 56, of St. Petersburg said he was passing 2567 26th Ave. S. about 7:40 a.m. when he saw thick black smoke coming from the garage of the one-story masonry house, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said.

Conrad told firefighters he ran to the house's front door to alert the residents, then called 911. He helped two adults and a child outside shortly before firefighter arrived, officials said.

Firefighters quickly doused the flames. Although the house had smoke damage, the fire damage was confined to the garage, so the residents did not need to be relocated, officials said.

A fire investigator determined that discarded smoking materials in the garage started the blaze, officials said.

The house's smoke detector was inoperable, so firefighters installed three new ones before leaving the scene, officials said.

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