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Teen saves family, visitors from Lutz house fire

News Channel 8 photo by RUGENE MOORE

Two children pet Star, a one-year-old black Lab, after he was saved from a burning house at 5341 Taylor Road in Lutz.

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TBO.com

Published: July 15, 2009

Updated: 07/15/2009 09:05 am

TAMPA - A teenager saved his family, their visitors and a dog from a fire that destroyed a Lutz home this morning, officials say.

Everyone was asleep when the fire began about 5 a.m. at the single-story house at 5341 Taylor Road. The owner's 14-year-old son smelled smoke and woke the three adults and four children in the house, Hillsborough Fire Rescue Chief Craig Lynn said.

All escaped uninjured.

Firefighters entered the burning home and rescued a black Labrador retriever. The dog, Star, was not breathing, but firefighters were able to resuscitate it, Lynn said. The family is taking the 1-year-old dog to a veterinarian to be evaluated.

Twenty-seven firefighters, two water tanker trucks, six fire engines, one ladder truck and an ambulance responded to the scene. There were no fire hydrants available, and all the water was brought in by the tankers.

The fire remains under investigation.

The house is a total loss, owner Frankie Yates said.

But some memories were saved. A woman visiting from Gainesville grabbed her pocketbook. Inside was her camera – and the first images of her new grandchild, which was the reason she was in Lutz.

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