Brevard County rallies around officer caught in house fire

INDIALANTIC, Fla. - Community members are showing support for a Melbourne police officer badly burned last week as he rescued his dog from a house fire.

Anthony Ciraco lost nearly everything he owns and has a long road to recovery ahead of him – but his actions may also have saved the life of his dog, Buddy.

The fire happened the morning of December 18 at a town home on Palmetto Avenue in Indialantic, Ciraco’s friend, Jeffery Koeberl, told FOX 35.

Ciraco was heating up oil to fix breakfast on the stove but left it unattended before hearing fire crackling, Koeberl said. The flames spread quickly. 

He tried to extinguish the fire himself before running to get Buddy from a bedroom, Koeberl said Ciraco told him.

"He said that smoke was everywhere, it was so dark, he couldn’t see anything, and he was having a hard time breathing – but he did find him," Koeberl said. "When he found him he had to go from his bedroom back out. He had to go past where the fire was hottest; it was just a bad situation as far as that’s concerned."

Buddy is OK.

Ciraco is dealing with second-degree burns. He had to be transferred to Orlando Regional Medical Center’s burn unit but is out of the hospital and – physically, at least – beginning to heal.

The emotional and financial fallout are other matters. 

Ciraco lost nearly everything he owns. It is unclear how steep his medical bills might be, and it will be months before he can get back in the townhouse. He is staying with Koeberl for now.

"When you lose your house and you lose your property and you have to start from scratch," Koeberl said, "it’s a lot."

But he is not alone. For a police officer who often helps others – including on the worst days of their lives – the community is now stepping up to help him on his. An online fundraiser has already raised more than $23,000 of its $30,000 goal. 

"The important thing is that he’s got a place to stay, and he’s got a lot of help and we’ve got some stuff to work with to bring him back," Koeberl said. "It’s been eye-opening to me but it’s been very encouraging to see the outpouring of support from everybody in the community."