RESCUERS PULL TWO FROM BURNING CARS.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Daily News Staff Writer

Firefighters rescued a Canoga Park man and a Palmdale woman trapped inside blazing autos after one car went out of control on an icy Pearblossom Highway bridge and slammed head-on into the other, officials said.

James Hendrickson's 1988 Mustang plunged 50 feet down an embankment, coming to rest upside down and in flames, its driver knocked into the back seat.

The other car burst into flames in the middle of Pearblossom Highway. Driver Pamla Mason was able to escape but passenger Maria Cortez was trapped inside the wreckage.

``If we had gotten there two minutes later, I imagine they would have expired in the cars from the heat and the smoke - I have no doubt,'' Firefighter Sean Fox said after the 3:20 a.m. collision on Pearblossom Highway east of Sierra Highway.

The highway was wet and icy, though it wasn't raining or snowing at the time, officials said. Bridges are the first place where ice forms because the absence of soil beneath them lets them cool off faster than adjoining pavement, officials said.

Hendrickson and Cortez were reported in critical condition at Antelope Valley Hospital, and Mason in serious condition.

Television and movie crashes to the contrary, officials said it is uncommon for vehicles to catch fire after a collision. They said they don't know why both cars burst into flames.

``It really happens infrequently,'' said California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Weldy.

Firefighters from the Acton fire station were the first to reach the collision, 10 minutes after it was reported at 3:23 a.m. by a passing motorist. In all, the crash drew a half-dozen fire units plus CHP and sheriff's patrol cars.

Firefighters quickly knocked down the flames on the two cars, but it took 15 minutes using the Jaws of Life hydraulic rescue tool to free the passenger from the Toyota Camry on the highway, and five to 10 minutes to free Hendrickson from his Mustang.

CHP officers said Hendrickson, 40, of Canoga Park was driving east about 50 mph when his Mustang encountered ice on a railroad overpass, veered out of control and into the opposing lane, where it was hit by the Toyota driven by Mason, 49, of Littlerock.

Hendrickson's car veered down an embankment, catching on fire and trapping him inside. Mason was able to get out of her car, but Cortez, 41, of Palmdale was trapped until firefighters freed here.

Authorities also found an injured dog, a large tri-color female collie mix with its hair slightly singed. But they weren't sure whether the dog came out of one of the cars. It was taken by animal control officers to a veterinary clinic for treatment.