Father Rescues Son, 5, From Burning Home

Buena Park firefighters said 5-year-old David Schachter was only minutes from death Monday morning as he huddled under his kitchen table, trying to hide from the flames and smoke coming from his living room.

But his father awoke in time and, after leaping from his bedroom window on the second floor of the family’s 7th Street apartment, broke down the front door and rescued the boy, firefighters said.

Investigators said they suspected that the boy was playing with matches and had set the blaze himself.

“The smoke was really thick. I couldn’t see nothing,” said Joe Schachter, the boy’s father. “I ran through the place. I couldn’t see my little boy at all until I called out for him.

“He was lying under the kitchen table, scared more than anything.”

The UCI Medical Center Burn Center reported the boy in stable condition later Monday.

Buena Park Fire Capt. Dave Myers said David suffered first-degree burns, the equivalent of a bad sunburn, on his head, shoulders and chest and a more severe second-degree burn at the tip of one index finger. He also suffered some effects of inhaling smoke, Myers said.

Schachter, a car stereo installer, said that Monday was his day off and that he and his wife Tammy were sleeping late. He said something awakened him shortly before 9 a.m., and he saw heavy smoke coming from downstairs. He got up and saw flames blocking the way downstairs.

He said he checked his son’s room and found that he was not there. Both he and his wife jumped from their bedroom window, she landing safely on a first-floor window awning, he falling into some bushes.

Schachter said he broke out a front window, then broke down the front door to rescue his son. He said that his wife was uninjured and that he suffered only minor cuts from the broken window glass.

Firefighters estimated damage to the apartment and its contents at $25,000.

Myers said investigators found two apparent points of origin for the fire, one at a spot between a sofa and chair and another in a love seat on the other side of the living room.

He said the boy’s father told investigators that he had a problem with the child playing with matches about a month ago but that he thought he had the problem under control.