PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Dunedin woman died on Thanksgiving Day from smoke-related injuries after being pulled from her burning home.
Before Dunedin firefighters got the 911 call around 9 a.m. Thursday to the 1600 block of Lakeview Lane, neighbor Maurice Upton knew something was wrong.
What You Need To Know
- Woman dies after being pulled from a burning Dunedin home on Thanksgiving Day
- A neighbor managed to pull her from the burning structure, according to authorities
- The woman, whose identity has not been released, later died at an area hospital
“I’m not a witness to what happened," he said, “I don’t know what happened. I can tell you that I had just finished walking my dog, having a cup of coffee this morning, watching TV, when I heard what I thought was someone yelling ‘Help me!’”
Upton said what happened next was instinctive.
“I opened the screen door and I saw this lady,” he said. “And then I noticed that her hair and everything was on fire and I couldn’t go past the doorway, but her feet were pointed toward the door, so I was able to just grab her by the ankles and drag her out of there.”
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was taken to the hospital in serious condition, but she later died from her injuries.
Still, Upton said he was just thankful that he was in the right place at the right time to try and help.
“I’m happy it was my calling to be that person,” he said.
The fire remains under investigation.