72-Year-Old Man Critically Burned in Fire

A 72-year-old man who refused to leave his burning apartment was in critical condition late Thursday after a neighbor “half-dragged, half-walked” him to safety, fire officials said.

Daniel E. Lara suffered second-degree burns over 20% of his body in the blaze, which took firefighters about 10 minutes to put out. Damage was estimated at $25,000 to the apartment in the 2400 block of 16th Street, Fire Capt. Ray Toggweiler said.

Toggweiler said one of Lara’s upstairs neighbors, Anthony Bartone, smelled smoke and found Lara’s apartment afire when he went downstairs to investigate.

“He told Mr. Lara to get out, and Mr. Lara refused. He didn’t want to leave,” Toggweiler said. “Mr. Bartone actually physically helped him out of the unit--half-dragged, half-walked him out.”

Lara was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he remained in intensive care in the burn unit Thursday night.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.