Police officer saves people from burning apartment complex

CLEARWATER - A police officer is being hailed a hero, after saving several people from an apartment fire in Clearwater Sunday morning. 

It happened at the Lebeau Apartments around 4:00 a.m.

One unit is completely destroyed and four others have smoke damage, after fire ripped through this complex. Sharon Donovan was falling asleep.

 "They were huge. I'd say they came eight feet off the roof and the whole upper apartment there was completely engulfed, "Donovan said.

William Nahorodny is the officer who rushed to Sharon's rescue. 

"The adrenaline was going. All I could see was the smoke. The orange. The heat. I really didn't even feel it,"Nahorodny said.

Nohorodny saw the fire, just before he finished his shift. He immediately headed for the units on the second floor.

"I assisted the top people out. The door was ajar. They were about to come out," he said.

Then he ran downstairs.

"I looked through the window. I could see people inside. The doors were still locked. It appears they were searching for something. I had to kick in those two doors and I believe four people came out of there," he said.

 "He had us all across the street in no time before the fire trucks even got here. He was on top of it," Donovan said.

Fire fighters put out the fire in 20 minutes. The six people who lived in the complex are being assisted by the Red Cross with temporary housing.

No one was injured becaase of Officer Nahorodny's quick thinking and bravery.

Nahorodny said he inhaled some smoke, but wasn't hurt. Fire investigators said the fire was intentionally set.

If you have any information about this crime, you can call the State Fire Marshal's Office.