Neighbor Saves Boy From Burning Home

Barefoot and in his sweats, an Azusa man ran into a neighboring townhouse that was engulfed in flames from a Christmas tree fire to rescue a badly burned 4-year-old boy, authorities said.

Firefighters on Monday credited Brian Burk, 26, with saving the life of Marcus Ware, to whom he was a total stranger--and the ultimate good Samaritan.

“I just wanted to save the kid,” said Burk, standing outside the charred structure, his hands bandaged from second-degree burns and his singed hair covered by a baseball cap. “I could regret not doing anything for the rest of my life, or save a life.”

The child suffered second- and third-degree burns over 20% of his body, including his upper body and head, hospital officials said. He was listed in critical but stable condition Monday at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

The fire occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday when a dried-out Christmas tree in the townhouse, in the 600 block of Point O Woods Drive, where Marcus lived with his mother, exploded into flames, authorities said.

Burk, who manages a temporary agency in Van Nuys, and his wife, Christy, heard Marcus’ mother, Sonora Ware, 34, screaming for help in the street as smoke billowed from her home. “A neighbor finally got it from her that there was a child in the house,” Burk said.

When he entered the townhouse, the couches were in flames and the television had become a melted blob, Burk said. Struggling to make his way through the home, he heard a child’s cries coming from the direction of the staircase. “The smoke was so black and thick I had to feel around for him,” Burk said. “I eventually found him and put him over my shoulder and ran out of the house.”

As he made his escape, Burk grabbed the red-hot stair railing to steady himself, searing the flesh of one hand. His other was also burned during the rescue, and his bare feet were blistered on the smoldering floor as he dashed for the door. He was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and released.

Fire investigators said Monday that they suspect the child was playing with matches or a candle that ignited the tree.

“The mother was in one room and she heard a scream, ‘It’s on fire, it’s on fire!’ ” said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Mark Tolbert. Sonora Ware grabbed her son and ran to the front door. But as she tried to open the door, she let go of Marcus’ hand and he darted off to a staircase landing, Ware told authorities. She tried but could not find her son amid the thick smoke, then ran outside for help, Tolbert said.

The fire gutted the townhouse, but firefighters were able to put out the flames before they spread to adjoining structures.

Authorities said the fire illustrates the danger of dried-out Christmas trees, which can ignite in seconds.

Burk was modest about his actions and surprised at the attention his good deed was receiving, saying, “I don’t want to be classified as a hero or anything.”