– Charlotte County fire investigators said an elderly man died last Friday morning while battling a fire at his home at the Windmill Village Mobile Home Park.
Investigators said the fire broke out at 22 Rotterdam Place and believed it was caused by flood waters from Hurricane Helene that reached the electricity on the carport. They add the blaze started where a battery charger was plugged into a golf cart.
Mike O’Neill told ABC7 he ran across the street to warn his neighbor when he saw flames.
“Tom got out a hose, and was trying to put it out, but with the lithium-ion battery and the flames, it just wasn’t going out quick,” O’Neill said.
Multiple fire crews responded to the scene and spotted the man trying to do what he could.
“Unfortunately, he was overcome by smoke, and when he collapsed, he collapsed into the fire,” said Todd Dunn, Public Information Officer with Charlotte County Fire Department.
Dunn said the man, who neighbors identified at Tom Gramza, died at an area hospital.
Witnesses said his wife Janet, managed to escape the flames.
Just moments before the tragedy, a similar fire broke out down the street at Phil Meredith’s home.
“The battery caught on fire because it’s lithium-ion, and it’s a very hot fire, it melted the seat, it melted the wall of my home,” Meredith said.
The first reported death from Hurricane Helene in Southwest Florida came from Charlotte County.
An elderly man living in the Windmill Village community died Saturday. He was severely burned after a golf cart battery exploded, causing a massive fire.
“He was trying to fight the fire. He was overcome by the smoke and then passed out into the fire, which resulted in life-threatening burns and injuries,” Todd Dunn, public information officer with Charlotte County Fire & EMS, said.
Mike O’Neill lives near the elderly man, who is named Tom. He said floodwaters hit unprecedented levels in the manufactured home community, making it hard for even first responders to reach the fire.
O’Neill shared that Tom had lived in the area for many years and had a love for kayaking.
“He was here prior to Hurricane Charley. This whole community was wiped out with Charlie, was all rebuilt. He has seen a lot, and then Hurricane Ian, and not to mention all the hurricanes in between,” O’Neill said. “He was always up here dragging his kayaks, always recruiting people for kayak and clubs, always lend a helping hand whenever we need them. So just a great neighbor, just tragic to see that whole process go through.”
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