Lehigh Acres man battles blaze before crews save his home

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LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. – A man grabbed his garden hose when he discovered a brush fire was inching close to his home near the intersection of 57th Street West and Ida Avenue on Sunday night.

Edward Artiaga said he was not aware of the fire until a neighbor warned him.

“My neighbor back there he telling me, hey you know what happened in your yard? And I said no, so I come out and it’s almost touching my house,” Artiaga said.

A couple of neighbors then joined him to fight the blaze until fire crews arrived and took over.

“Oh man it was scary,” Artiaga said. “I got my family inside the house, so I put my family outside and then tried to — couple neighbors come in to help me and then the fire guys come and do their job.”

The fire charred nearby plants and trees and jumped onto Artiaga’s lawn. Authorities said a little more than an acre burned.

“It wasn’t easy you know. I don’t want my house, lose my house,” he said.

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