Worker burned in fire at store

© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 6, 2001

EAST LAKE -- Pinellas County sheriff's detectives Monday were investigating a suspicious Sunday night fire that damaged an ice cream store and burned a 29-year-old store employee, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Firefighters responded to fire alarms at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday at the Shoppes of Boot Ranch on East Lake Road, said East Lake Fire Chief Jeff Parks. The sprinkler system inside Monique's Ice Cream and Yogurt knocked down much of the blaze, he said.

When firefighters arrived, they found shop employee Pavel Timcak in a murky, shallow retention pond behind the shopping center, sheriff's spokesman Cal Dennie said. Timcak, of Clearwater, told detectives he was knocked unconscious while he was checking on the store Sunday night.

"He advised that the next thing he was aware of was that he was on fire and burning," Dennie said.

Timcak climbed over a 6-foot chain link fence and jumped into the large concrete retention pond to douse the flames burning him, he told investigators. Fire and rescue officials had to cut through the fence to pull Timcak out of the retention pond.

Timcak could not be reached for comment. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital and was released Monday, Dennie said.

Timcak was watching over the store for its owners, who are out of the country, Dennie said. Timcak told detectives that he went to the store Sunday night to check on it. Just as he was about to open the back door, he heard a noise, Dennie said.

"He opened the door to investigate, and he felt like he had been hit in the head," Dennie said. "He woke up and the next thing he knows, he's on fire."

Investigators found signs that a flammable material was used to start the fire, Dennie said. The fire is still under investigation.

Damage estimates were not available.

The ice cream shop and a RadioShack next door were closed Monday because of the fire. RadioShack manager Joe Indelicato said the electronics store had water damage from the fire and might reopen this afternoon.

Next door, the pink walls of the ice cream shop had dark burn marks Monday. Ash and charred items littered the tile on the floor, and the store's front entrance was covered by a board.

Firefighters from Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, East Lake and Tarpon Springs responded to the fire.

-- Staff writer Ed Quioco can be reached at (727) 445-4183 or quioco@sptimes.com.

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