Valrico woman re-entered burning home to get her medication, firefighters say

VALRICO — Firefighters rescued a woman who was overcome by smoke Sunday night after she re-entered her burning home to retrieve her medication.

The incident started when a residential fire was reported at about 8:20 p.m. in the 4000 block of Highgate Drive, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

Flames were coming from the roof and rear of the home, the agency said, and thick smoke covered the neighborhood.

After speaking with the unidentified homeowner, firefighters determined that his wife had gone back inside to retrieve medication. But she hadn't come back out yet.

Firefighters pushed through the front door and entered the house. They were barely able to see due to the thick smoke, officials said, and the roof was on the verge of collapsing.

They made it halfway through the house when they heard a woman scream in a back bedroom where she had collapsed, officials said. Firefighters found her and carried her to safety.

She was treated at the scene and then taken to a local hospital to be treated for smoke-related injuries.

Fire crews got the blaze under control within 45 minutes. No other injuries were reported, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Contact Carl Lisciandrello at clisciandrello@tampabay.com. Follow @carlmarks_Times