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Fla. off-duty firefighter helps contain garage fire

Firefighter Matthew McCard, 37, immediately called 911 and started banging on the door of the home, then ran to get a garden hose to help keep the fire from spreading

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Officials said the quick response helped mitigate damage to the home.

Photo/Auburndale Fire Department

By Kathy Leigh Berkowitz
The Ledger, Lakeland, Fla.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — An off-duty Auburndale firefighter jumped in to help when he saw smoke coming from a garage at 109 Lake Howard Dr. NW on Friday morning, according to the Winter Haven Police Department.

The fire damaged the garage, but it could have been much worse, according to WHPD public information officer Jamie Brown.

Brown said the Firefighter Matthew McCard, 37, immediately called 911 and started banging on the door of the home, then ran to get a garden hose to help keep the fire from spreading.

The Winter Haven Fire Department arrived and contained the fire — preserving the home, which was only separated by a breezeway between the structures, according to reports.

Though the garage suffered extensive damage, Brown said the quick response helped mitigate damage to the home.

Only minor smoke damage occurred on the exterior of the breezeway and an exterior wall.

No injuries were reported and the family that lives in the home was not displaced.

The fire appears to be accidental, but the cause remains under investigation, Brown said.

McCard has been with Auburndale Fire Department since 2005.

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©2019 The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.)

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