On Sunday, shortly after 7 p.m., an off duty airline pilot noticed a sleeping bag on fire with a man inside while driving along Northeast Lombard Street at 42nd Avenue.
John Filipowicz, a former Coast Guard helicopter pilot who now flies jet airplanes for Alaskan Airlines, pulled his car over and managed to put the fire out. He used a fire extinguisher from his car, but the victim was badly burned.
The man was taken to Legacy Emanuel Hospital where his injuries have been described as life threatening. Although the identity of the man in the sleeping bag remains unknown, investigators believe he was homeless and may have rolled into a nearby campfire.
