Dean E. Young rescued Robert E. Elsom from burning, Anaheim, California, January 7, 2000. Elsom, 79, was in his first-floor apartment when fire broke out in its bedroom. Young, 35, maintenance supervisor, who worked for the building, smelled smoke and responded to the scene. He entered the apartment through its unlocked front door to find the unit filled with dense smoke. Shouting to Elsom, who answered him, Young, holding a flashlight, crawled a short distance into the apartment to where he opened some windows to dissipate the smoke. After leaving for air, Young re-entered the apartment, holding a wet towel to his face, but after he had gone about 10 feet, he again had to exit for air. Young entered the apartment a third time and, crawling about 15 feet, found Elsom standing in the kitchen. Flames from the bedroom had by then spread to a hall that adjoined the kitchen. Young stood, grasped Elsom, and walked him to the front door, then outside to safety. Elsom sustained severe burns to his legs and feet and lesser burns to his arms and face.
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