Handyman Saves Man in Anaheim Apartment Fire

Dean E. Young, 35, who lives and works as a maintenance man at the Normandy Apartments in Anaheim, discovered a fire in Unit 51 just before 3 p.m. Friday after hearing a smoke detector, Fire Battalion Chief Bruce Jacobson said.

Young made two attempts to enter the smoke-filled North Syracuse Street apartment, Jacobson said, “but he was driven out both times by the heat. He then wrapped himself in a wet towel, and on the third attempt, he made entry.”

Young pulled out an unidentified 79-year-old man who had burns on his ankles and feet and was having trouble breathing. After firefighters arrived, the older man was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he remained Friday night. Young declined to go to the hospital.

“Definitely, the efforts of Dean Young saved this guy’s life,” Jacobson said.

Arson investigators concluded that the man, who was alone in the apartment, inadvertently sparked the blaze after cleaning his carpet with lacquer thinner, a highly flammable solvent, then vacuuming over the treated spots.

“It wouldn’t take long for the vapors of lacquer thinner combined with the combustible synthetic fibers of the carpet to ignite,” Jacobson said.

The fire, which did $70,000 in damage, was brought under control in 22 minutes, Jacobson said.