A Florida Keys woman whose home survived Hurricane Irma has a neighbor and firefighters to thank after they saved it from Sunday's Big Pine Key brush fire.
Juanita Kretschmar and her housemate George Adams were at their home on 19th Street Sunday afternoon when police started banging on their door.
"It was the police who said I would be trapped by the fire soon if I didn’t get out,” Kretschmar said.
Kretschmar grabbed her pet dogs and bird and evacuated as the fire reached the porch of the home she has lived in for 23 years.
A neighbor with a garden hose and a Key West Fire Department crew were able to keep the fire from engulfing the home.
"They did it, they saved my home," she said. "God bless them."
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It was the second close call for Kretschmar's home in the past seven months. During Irma, a small part of her roof was blown off but otherwise it stayed intact.
"I’m just so thankful it’s still here," she said.
No one was injured but the fast-moving fire destroyed one home, officials said. Crews were still fighting it Monday morning.
"Unfortunately, we did lose one home, but through the incredible hard work of the men and women firefighters we were able to save several homes and nobody was injured," said Monroe County Emergency Management Director Martin Senterfitt. "Some firefighters worked through the night without rest and continue to work today."
The homes weren't the only thing saved from the fire. One Monroe County Fire Rescue firefighter was able to rescue an endangered Key deer fawn from the flames.
"I jumped into the flames and saved the little guy," firefighter Jen Shockley said. "He was all by himself and running for his life into the fire."
