A North Side couple who rescued their son from a space heater fire Thursday now face endangerment charges.

The 2-year-old boy was in serious condition yesterday in the burn unit at UPMC Mercy.

He suffered third-degree burns of the head, shoulders and upper arms, and second-degree burns of the lower arms and hands, police said.

"It's a shame," said Pittsburgh police arson investigator Michael Burns, whose team made the arrests. "That kid's going to be in the burn unit for a while."

The boy's father, Carl Broerman, 33, and the mother, Jessica Burrell, 23, are charged with reckless endangerment and two counts of child endangerment.

Mr. Broerman is being held on $10,000 bail; Ms. Burrell on $3,000.

The couple's 3-year-old daughter, who had been playing with the boy at the time of the incident, was not injured.

Both children have been removed from their parent's care by county's Children, Youth and Families.

Detective Burns said his team responded to the scene, on Geyer Avenue in the Marshall-Shadeland area, because the call indicated that a natural gas space heater was involved.

He determined the heater had not been secured properly. Investigators don't yet know whether the equipment functioned correctly.

Police said the house also was found to be in "deplorable" condition. Though the smoke had cleared, firefighters and investigators had to wear breathing equipment to remain inside the structure for any length of time, according to affidavits that support the couple's arrests.

The stench from scores of cats and their droppings made it unbearable to breathe normally, the affidavits said.

About 50 cats and kittens were seen roaming about the house Thursday. Many of the cats and a dog were taken by animal control officers.

The officers returned yesterday to recover more of the animals, some of which were infested with fleas and sickness. Many of the animals fled through cracks and hid between the walls of the structure to avoid capture, police said.

"Conditions of the house were so deplorable it was unfit for children to live in," Detective Burns said.

The parents suffered minor injuries when they removed the boy's burning clothes. They were treated at the scene and the hospital, where they were arrested, police said. Both are being held in the Allegheny County Jail, pending arraignments and a preliminary hearing Friday.

William Hesidence, the owner of the property, said the couple had lived there for about four years. Until about a year ago the house was heated with permanently installed electric heating system. The living room heater in the two-story house failed at the end of last winter and the gas-fueled heater was put in temporarily, Mr. Hesidence said.

He said that for the past 10 months or so the couple has prevented him from entering the property.

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