ANDERSON, Ind.­ — A 59-year-old man was in critical but stable condition Tuesday afternoon, hours after Anderson firefighters pulled him unconscious from his burning home.

Larry Neff, 240 S. Scatterfield Road, was found lying beside his bed shortly after firefighters arrived to battle the structure fire inside Neff’s home.

Neff was taken to Saint John’s Medical Center in Anderson and hospital officials would not give further information on his condition late Tuesday night.

“Firefighters Kent Helping and John Foster, they were the two guys from our rescue truck who made entry,” said Anderson Assistant Fire Chief Dave Cravens.

Neff had suffered smoke inhalation and was unresponsive, Cravens said. “He was probably overcome by smoke.

“If they wouldn’t have pulled him out ... I think these two firefighters actually saved this guy’s life,” Cravens said.

Firefighters received a call at 9:55 a.m. about a fire at the house at the corner of University Boulevard and Scatterfield Road. The fire was quickly controlled, but fire crews remained on the scene until 10:40 Tuesday morning to ensure the fire was extinguished.

Stanley Sims of Anderson said he and his wife were driving by the home early Tuesday and noticed white smoke pouring out. He said he stopped to offer help to emergency crews that were just arriving.

“They did an excellent job of reviving someone,” Sims said. “Hopefully he will be all right.”

Cravens said Tuesday that there had been no determination about the cause of the fire, which remains under investigation.

The house and Neff were in the news earlier this year for a separate incident. Then-Anderson police officer Lincoln Brooks allegedly broke into the home and assaulted Neff and Neff’s daughter, Brandy, who was Brooks’ girlfriend.

Protective orders were issued to keep Brooks away from Larry and Brandy Neff. Brooks subsequently resigned from the force in June after he was charged for the May incident at the home.

Brooks is to stand trial Nov. 24 at 9 a.m. in Madison Circuit Court on felony charges of residential entry and strangulation as well as misdemeanor counts of battery, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com

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