DUO PRAISED AFTER RESCUING MAN FROM FIRE : BURNED VICTIM IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer

Residents in the Oakridge tract in Newhall consider sheriff's Deputy Daniel Peacock and their neighbor, Jimmy Bledsoe, heroes after the rescue of their 68-year-old neighbor from flames before firefighters arrived Saturday night.

The victim, Albert R. Williams, was listed in critical condition in the burn unit at Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center on Sunday, with second-degree burns to more than 30 percent of his body. He was in the burn intensive care unit and on a respirator for severe smoke inhalation, said Adelaida De La Cerda, a hospital spokeswoman.

Williams was found lying on the floor unconscious in thick smoke between his front doorway and the dining room, only a few feet away from flames that gutted his home in the 23900 block of Fambrough Street at 10:10 p.m. Saturday, fire officials said.

When Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station Deputy Daniel Peacock arrived at about 10:20 p.m., two neighbors, including Bledsoe, were already dousing flames with garden hoses, said Sgt. Russell Brown.

Bledsoe, whose only protection against the intense heat was his water-soaked shirt that he used to breathe through, kept flames away from the deputy, who crawled through the front door entryway to get to the elderly man, Brown said. Bledsoe and the deputy then pulled Williams from his home and onto his front lawn.

``You could feel the heat on (Williams') arm. It was hot to the touch,'' Bledsoe said. ``The heat was real bad in there . . . and the smoke took your breath away.''

The deputy then performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man before firefighters arrived and treated him. He was then transported to the hospital, authorities said.

Peacock also was treated and released for smoke inhalation at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. Bledsoe went to the same hospital for second-degree burns to his hand while trying to enter the home. He also was treated and released.

Neighbors said the worst of the flames were out by the time firefighters arrived. On Sunday, residents in the neighborhood called Peacock and Bledsoe heroes.

``He's the real hero. He's the guy who deserves the credit,'' said Jack Buss, referring to Bledsoe. Buss lives across the street from Williams and regularly checks up on the elderly man's well-being.

Bledsoe admits that he did not want to go into the dangerous inferno. He was inexperienced with fires and a bit panicked, he said. But he knew his longtime neighbor rarely left home and was probably inside.

``I knew he'd still be in there,'' he said. ``I was working my way in there, slowly.''

Bledsoe said he was thankful Peacock showed up to help.

On Sunday morning, firefighters had to return to the home to douse the attic, which was smoldering, said Capt. Stephen Reed of the Los Angeles County Fire Department in Santa Clarita.

Officials were investigating the cause of the fire Sunday.

Williams lives alone, but his estranged wife from Texas, Geri Williams, 39, visited him regularly, according to Geri's brother, Robert Hershey. ``They are very good friends,'' he said.