A day after rescuing a woman from a burning home, Hillsborough County sheriff's Deputy Joe DeVore doesn't think he's a hero.
"I got into this to help the community, to save lives. I just consider it to be a part of my job," DeVore said.
DeVore was doing a routine check of a business about 3:30 a.m. Sunday when he was called to a house fire at 12106 N. Boulevard.
When he arrived, the house was engulfed in flames and smoke and power lines were falling. "My first thought was if there's something I can do, I have to do it," DeVore said. "I can't stand there and do nothing and watch these people die in their own house."
DeVore assisted a man and woman who struggled to get out of the house. He grabbed the woman under her arms and pulled her to safety on the driveway. They were identified as Rhonda O'Neal, 56, and Malcolm O'Neal, 26.
But 81-year-old Robie Hurst was still inside.
DeVore, 33, ran to the open front door, but thick smoke made it difficult to see.
He took a step inside. He was about 2 feet from Hurst but didn't see her. Then he spotted her, grabbed her arm and led her out of the house.
Hurst was listed in fair condition at Pepin Heart Hospital at University Community Hospital. Rhonda O'Neal, 56, was in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital. Malcolm O'Neal was treated at the scene.
The cause of the fire was electrical, said Deputy Larry McKinnon, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokesman. Damage to the house was estimated at $150,000.
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