bring a child into it. >> reporter: the da john pointer found fabian's plight to be particularly heart breaking. >> i couldn't imagine 7 years old and seeing my dad blown up. >> reporter: and running all that way. >> people don't understand, it was like maybe a couple miles as the crow flies. but to run through what we call colusa mud which is the rice fields and it's just, i mean, he had to take his shoes off. he was literally covered with it. you could hardly walk through it. for him to run all that way, it was amazing. i remember asking if he knew what 911 was. and he told me and he was right and i asked him if he knew how to use a cell phone. he said yeah. i asked if your dad had a cell phone. he said yes he did. i said why didn't you call for help? and he was reaching out like this and he said, i can't. it's in his pocket and he's on fire.