Teen Dies After Bedroom Fire

By ELIZABETH LEE BROWN The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 9, 2008

TAMPA - A 16-year-old girl died Thursday after a fire started in her bedroom in the Country Place subdivision in Carrollwood.

Fire rescuers found Madison Clermont beneath a pile of clothes near a dresser during a secondary sweep of the house at 5012 Grainary Ave.

As fire officials cordoned off the scene and investigated the fire, Clermont's father, stepmother and brother stood nearby. They declined to comment.

Firefighters responded to the fire at 1:40 p.m. and found light smoke around the eaves, said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley.

They searched the attic and several rooms of the house, but did not find Clermont until a secondary unit arrived and conducted another search. The fire was contained in the front bedroom, Yeakley said.

"I don't know if she was trying to get away from the fire," he said.

Clermont was taken by ambulance to University Community Hospital on Fletcher Avenue, where she later died.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Neighbor Hector Muniz, who lives across the street, said he was putting mail out and saw the smoke. He and a neighbor rushed to help.

"We knocked on the door and knocked on the windows. We didn't hear anybody and we called 911," Muniz said.

Neighbor Cadi Ring, 16, said her father furiously banged on the front door, but it was locked and no one answered.

"My dad went to bang on the door to see if anyone was home. The ambulance came and they pulled Maddie out of the room," Ring said.

Neighbors said Clermont has lived on the street for four years. According to school records, she attended Sickles High School last year.

Neighbor Kelsey Finnegan, 15, said Clermont lived in the house with her father, stepmother and a stepuncle.

Another Country Place resident, Lanis Chidel, said she plans to coordinate a neighborhoodwide response to support the grieving family.

"The community is made up of individuals that want to be involved," Chidel said. "We will be bringing them food, letting them know that we care."

Reporter Elizabeth Lee Brown can be reached at (813) 865-1502 or ebrown@tampatrib.com.