WEEKI WACHEE, Fla. — A Hernando County deputy's quick thinking and brave actions saved two lives when a mobile home caught fire in Weeki Wachee, leaving a family of four homeless but grateful to be alive.
Deputy Tyler Ferro was patrolling the area when he noticed the back half of a mobile home fully engulfed in flames. Without hesitation, he joined forces with Jeffrey Carver to rescue Jeffrey's wheelchair-bound adoptive mother, who was trapped inside the burning house.
Watch full report from Annette Gutierrez
"He is the biggest hero in our county," said Brandy Carver, whose family lost everything in the fire..
John and Brandy Carver lived at the trailer in Weeki Wachee with their 32-year-old son, Jeffrey, and John's 58-year-old sister. The fire destroyed their home just minutes after John left to pick up Brandy at work.
"Five minutes down the road, my son calls me and says the house is on fire," John Carver said. "Turned around, came back. Within like five minutes I got here, there was a cop, and my son was pulling my sister out."
Ferro said he acted on instinct when he saw Jeffrey screaming that his mother was still inside the burning home.
"I noticed that the back half of the mobile home was pretty much fully engulfed. There was the son that was on scene who began screaming that his mom was still inside," Ferro said.
The deputy didn't hesitate to help with the rescue, despite the dangerous conditions.
"I felt like I was put there for a reason. And I don't know, I kind of just acted with instinct," Ferro said. "The fear kind of kicked in later, after the fact."
Ferro said he felt destined to be there in that moment.
"I think that God put me in that position for a reason. I don't think it was a coincidence that I was up there. I'm almost never that far north in the county, I just happened to be there for another call," he said.
The home was destroyed as propane tanks ignited, causing explosions that made it difficult for firefighters to extinguish the fire. It took about an hour to get the flames under control.
"It was just, you know, loud pops, the glass was all, you know, blowing out around us," Ferro said.
Three people were hospitalized following the incident. Ferro was treated for smoke inhalation and has since been released. Jeffrey and John's sister remains at Tampa General Hospital in critical condition.
John said his sister is in the ICU with a broken femur, while Jeffrey remains on a ventilator due to severe smoke inhalation injuries.
"He's getting really good care, around the clock care, but he's still on a ventilator in critical condition," Brandy Carver said.
The Red Cross has provided temporary hotel accommodations for a few days, but the family faces an uncertain future.
"After that, we don't know what we're doing," Brandy Carver said. "The only bright side with them being in a hospital is at least they have a roof over their head right now."
Despite their devastating loss, the family expressed gratitude for the community's support.
"I want to thank everybody that has surrounded us. I feel the love, I feel the prayers," Brandy Carver said.
All four dogs and one cat survived the fire, though the family's bearded dragon remains missing.
"We're praying that he actually just got out of his cage," Brandy Carver said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The family has created a GoFundMe to help find new housing and cover medical expenses. You can find it here.
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