RIVERVIEW, FL -- A Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy was taken to the hospital after he put out a house fire in Riverview early this morning.
Officials said Deputy Allan Geer, 58, was responding to a burglar alarm at 9101 West Water Circle, but when he arrived he saw smoke coming from inside of the house. Geer took his personal fire extinguisher and made his way inside through a rear door.
He managed to get the smoldering fire out, then began to check to see if anyone was inside, investigators said. As he was going from room to room Geer became overcome by smoke and ran outside for air. After getting his breath, fire officials say he went back inside and checked the rest of the home.
Ultimately Geer did not find anyone, and he made his way back outside where he collapsed just as firefighters arrived.
Paramedics treated him at the scene and then took him to Tampa General Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. He was treated and released.
The owners were away from the weekend and not home at the time of the fire.
Geer is a 13 1/2 year veteran of the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office.
