An Ottawa man, burned over 20 percent of his body, is said to be in stable condition at a suburban medical facility following his rescue by city firefighters from a south side apartment blaze early Sunday morning.

According to a family member, Kevin Fribbs, 55, is in serious yet stable condition at Loyola University Hospital Intensive Burn Unit in Maywood after being caught in a blaze at 222 State St., one block south of Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Fribbs is a longtime employee of Cimco Recycling in Ottawa.

Alerted by neighbor Bruce Sirtoff — who spotted the fire about 1:20 a.m. Sunday — Ottawa firefighters raced inside the burning structure to find Fribbs unresponsive and burned in his upstairs apartment. The victim immediately was transported to Ottawa Regional Hospital, and later that morning flown to Loyola by a medical helicopter.

The family member reported Fribbs was found by rescuers huddled under a window air conditioner, unit as if he was trying to escape the flames, when he was apparently overcome by the heat and smoke. Carried to safety outside, Fribbs' neighbors said his clothes were "charred and smoking" as firefighters gave him oxygen.

Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Treest and his friend, Brandon Pearson, were driving north of State Street that morning when they noticed a strange "orange glow" coming from the second floor of a house on the east side of the road. As they got closer, they both saw flames in the upstairs windows.

Pearson, 17, bolted from the car and kicked in the front door while Treest parked and quickly followed his friend inside the burning house. The two pounded on doors, yelling to wake up and warn other tenants.

Seconds later, Sirtoff and his father, Frank Sirtoff III, joined the teenagers, and together they searched both levels to make sure everyone was out. Breaking down an upstairs door, intense smoke rushing out of Fribbs' apartment forced them outside. Soon, however, with fresh air in the lungs, Pearson, Treest and the younger Sirtoff braved the smoke again and continued to search inside.

They could find no one, and didn't know at the time if anyone remained in the house.

"That is when the firemen arrived, two rushed in, and — within a minute — they came out and had that guy in their arms," Treest remembered.

Coughing from the smoke, Pearson, Treest and the Sirtoffs watched as firefighters gave aid to Fribbs on the front porch and saw the victim rushed away by ambulance to the hospital.

Soon after, Pearson and Treest also were taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they each were treated for smoke inhalation and released, as was the elder Sirtoff later that morning.

A pet cat, thought originally to belong to Fribbs — but actually owned by another tenant — perished in the smoke.

Both lanes of State Street (Route 23) were closed for nearly three hours Sunday morning while firefighters worked to extinguish the stubborn blaze.

According to a fire department spokesman. the origin of the fire — which destroyed most of the second floor — remains under investigation. Other tenants of the building have not been allowed to return to the building, and no other injuries were reported.

Both Pearson and Treest said Monday they were concerned about Fribbs and his injuries. They both hope to meet the man once he is recovered.