PHOTO: A two-story apartment home in Winter Haven was destroyed by fire Wednesday night, leaving 14 people homeless, according to police.
Christopher Klimczak Sr., a tenant of the multi-unit structure at 540 Ave. A NE, smelled smoke shortly before 8 p.m. and started searching for the source, ultimately finding a room where a mattress was on fire, WHPD spokeswoman Jamie Brown said in a news release Thursday.
The person who lived in that apartment was at work at the time. Klimczak tried to extinguish the flames by himself, but the fire continued to spread, Brown said.
At that point, Klimczak alerted other tenants about the fire — urging the adults and children who lived there to get to safety, according to authorities.
Klimczak also helped rescue a dog and her puppies, Brown said.