Firefighters battle two Northdale house fires

TAMPA -- Two houses suffered significant fire damage in Northdale this afternoon, but nobody was hurt.

Randye Tacie, 56, of 4908 Traskwood Court, was watching television when a knock on the door saved her.

"Rachel Ray was just coming on," said Tacie, a researcher for a pharmaceutical mail order company. "Someone knocked on my door and said, 'Your house is on fire.' "

The blaze had started in the attic of the house next door, Hillsborough Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley said. It spread to Tacie's house across a wooden fence enclosing the two back yards.

The fire was reported just after 3 p.m. at Traskwood Court and Northdale Boulevard. Yeakley said the fire was immediately upgraded to two alarms when firefighters arrived on scene and saw the extent of the blaze.

As of 3:40 p.m., 12 units and 30 firefighters were at the scene, working to contain the fire and protect other nearby structures from igniting. A few minutes later, they had brought the two fires under control.

Flames had burned the breadth of Tacie's attic. Next door, they caved in the roof over a bedroom.

- Rebecca Catalanello and Bill Coats, Times staff writers