YAKIMA, Wash. -- The condition of a Yakima man who suffered smoke inhalation when a fire destroyed his mobile home was upgraded from critical to serious on Thursday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Lee Pridgen was first taken to Yakima Regional Cardiac and Medical Center and later transferred in critical condition to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
On Tuesday evening, firefighters used a chainsaw to cut through an outside wall and pulled Pridgen from the bedroom of his burning home in the 7600 block of West Nob Hill Boulevard. They did not identify Pridgen, but said the man they rescued was about 55 years old.
His son, Alan Pridgen, said his father is actually 83 years old.
Alan Pridgen said he spoke to his father by telephone Wednesday night. "He's going to make it. He's coughing up a lot of stuff, but he's gonna make it."
Pridgen said his dad awoke to the sound of his fire alarm and tried to crawl out before being overwhelmed by smoke.
"Lucky for him, (firefighters) were there immediately," he said.
Pridgen said his nephew, who stays with his dad, had left with his girlfriend to get ice cream when the blaze started. He said it was his nephew's black Labrador that perished in the fire.
Damage was estimated at $75,000 and the fire's cause is remains under investigation.
Copyright 2012 - Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
