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Fire Leaves 5 Homeless And 2 Cats Dead

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - One adult was injured and two cats were killed by a fast moving fire on the 300 block of SW 11th Street in Fort Lauderdale Friday morning.

The fire happened around 8 A.M. and firefighters said one elderly man was taken from the scene on Advanced Life Support to Broward Health.

Stephanie Carpenter saw the home burning and decided to take matters into her own hands.

"I grabbed one of the guys and busted out a window. He grabbed a hose. I saw one guy on the floor. He couldn't walk. Later I found out he is dying of cancer," said Carpenter.

Jayson May, a tenant, heard a knock when he opened the door—he was greeted with flames.

"As soon as I opened the door the flames hit me. I remembered from pre-school to drop and roll. It happened so fast," said May.

When CBS4's Joan Murray asked Carpenter about her heroic act, she responded, "I feel like I did what I should have. That could have been his deathbed."

The fire left heavy damage and the structure is said to be uninhabitable.

The fire, according to Fort Lauderdale Police PIO Deanna Greenlaw, will displace up to five people, including the man who was taken to the hospital.

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