Major loss, minor injury
West Manatee Fire Rescue firefighters responded around 3:15 p.m. May 25 to a fire at a single-family home at 511 59th St., Holmes Beach.
The fire began as property owner Kenneth Veenstra was using a heat gun to shrink-wrap some towels. The heat gun was left unattended in a second-floor room, according to WMFR.
When Veenstra smelled smoke, he returned to the room to find the fire.
WMFR Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski said the owner tried to extinguish the fire using a garden hose — resulting in minor burns to his bare feet — and did not call 911 for help.
Instead, a neighbor called 911 on seeing the flames grow from outside the house.
Kwiatkowski said firefighters arrived to find smoke and fire pouring from the home. He said they quickly extinguished the fire but it caused “major” damage.
“It’s probably a complete loss,” he said. “Probably 80% of the home sustained heavy damage from fire and smoke.”
During the incident, the Veenstra dog escaped the house and ran off.
Holmes Beach code enforcement staff tracked the dog to 80th Street, secured the animal and reunited it with Veenstra.
Following the incident, city code enforcement posted a warning at the property to notify people the home is unsafe to enter.
WMFR offered to connect Veenstra with the American Red Cross for help but the offer was declined. The resident said he planned to stay with family in the area, according to Kwiatkowski.
Kwiatkowski said the fire was not suspicious.
The property owner did not have insurance on the home and was not pursuing further investigation.