LANTANA, Fla. — For Dan Monaco, 'town hero' now has a couple of meanings.
Monaco was riding his golf cart around the Wilton Trails neighborhood in Lake Worth Monday when he noticed a home was covered in smoke and flames.
WPTV first told you about the firewhen a lithium-ion battery from a vape pen burst into flames. The house belongs to Kayla Ogilbee who had tenants living in the home.
After seeing the flames, Monaco immediately ran towards the house. He said his first thought was to act quickly.
“Once I realized the fire was from the back, I ran to the back and I found a potted plant, and I took the big potted plant and they had a pool, thankfully,” Monaco said. “I just scooped the water from the pool and I started throwing it on the fire.”
Palm Beach County firefighters eventually put out the fire, but severe damage was left to the home.
“His quick action literally saved my home and my tenant's dog and all of their stuff,” Ogilbee said. “Just a couple more minutes, probably the whole house would’ve probably been engulfed in flames.”
This week is the grand opening of Monaco’s business, ‘Townhero’, in Lantana. On Saturday, he will be holding a fundraiser on the big day and says 50% of the proceeds will go towards Ogilbee and her tenants.
“When I recognized her GoFundMe page and realized and started looking into the story, I realized there was a bigger issue here,” shared Monaco. “That without insurance, this was going to be a big problem.”
Monaco was searching for a charity to donate proceeds to. After Monday, he knew Ogilbee would be the right fit to support.
“it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine the efforts and raise money for somebody in need,” said Monaco.
It’s a generous act that Ogilbee will always hold onto.
“When he called me and told me what he was planning on doing I just broke down,” Ogilbee said. “I mean, God works in mysterious ways.”
The fundraiser will happen from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.
