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HFD: Smoking in bed sparks apartment fire in NW Harris County 

HOUSTON - A person smoking in bed caused a fire that damaged an apartment in northwest Harris County late Thursday, according to the Houston Fire Department.

HFD responded to a fire at the Coppertree apartments, located on W. Gulf Bank at Veterans Memorial, around 11:55 p.m.

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Stricter smoking rules after fire death in home 

THE death of a man with intellectual problems who accidentally set himself on fire will mean new safety procedures are introduced to hospitals and care facilities.

Percy Ryan (68) died 16 days after he accidentally set his trousers alight. He was in a special smoking hut in a Health Service Executive-run care facility in Limerick at the time.

Mr Ryan, who had only been in the home for seven months, died after he sustained serious burns to 30pc of his body.

Immediately after nurses used a fire extinguisher, wet towels and basins of water to put out his blazing trousers, he told them: "I will never smoke again."

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Russian Submarine Fire Took Hundreds of Workers a Day to Extinguish 

MOSCOW -- The authorities in Russia marshaled more than 400 firefighters and 170 emergency workers to extinguish a fire on Friday that had raged for almost a day on the hull of a nuclear submarine in dry dock near the northern port of Murmansk. . . .

President Dmitri A. Medvedev ordered investigators to uncover the cause of the fire and told military officials to ensure that the vessel could return to service. . . .

This time, new information emerged at a rapid clip. The fire seemed to have originated on wooden scaffolding that surrounded the vessel while it was in dry dock, possibly in the course of welding work, and spread to an area of 1,600 square feet. There were also questions about smoking.

“A disaster is caused by people,” Capt. Igor Kurdin, the vessel’s former commander, told television crews. “Somebody smoked, and I am absolutely sure that it wasn’t a submariner but the factory crew that works there. A submariner would never do that.”

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Smoking cited in fire that killed Pontiac man, 68 

Authorities say smoking is suspected of starting a Pontiac house fire that killed a 68-year-old Vietnam veteran and General Motors retiree who used a wheel chair.

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Early findings blame smoking for fatal fire at West Park apartment in Cleveland  

CLEVELAND A fatal fire last week at a Rocky River Drive apartment appears to have been the result of a smoking accident, according to early findings by fire department officials.

However, no final, official rulings were issued as of news deadline on Jan. 31. Residents reported hearing an explosion moments before the fire broke out.

Killed in the fire was resident Elizabeth Stegman, 49. Her father-in-law Charles Stegman, 91, suffered burns over 25 percent of his body and remains in MetroHealth Medical Center. Her husband Chris Stegman and neighbor Charles Dove suffered smoke inhalation in rescuing the elderly man.

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Smoker's clothes caught fire  

A MAN suffered extensive burns last year after his clothes went on fire in the smoking area of a HSE -run psychiatric facility in Limerick, an inquest has heard.

Percy Ryan (68), Knockballyfookeen, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, went into the smoking hut at O'Connell House, Newcastle West, on July 22nd, 2011. At 2.10pm, nursing staff heard shouts coming from the hut and found Mr Ryan, who was a smoker, on fire.

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• EDITORIAL: Fine anyone who smokes in hospital  

In the aftermath of a fire caused by a patient at Glenfield Hospital, we believe that anyone caught attempting to light a cigarette inside the premises should face an immediate fine or a criminal prosecution.

The person behind the blaze faces no charges as there was 'no intent' to cause a fire, say police.

However, this patient did decide to smoke in a building which has a strict no-smoking policy.

We believe we will not be alone in the view that some sort of action must be taken in future.

The smoker showed no regard for the hospital's rules, caused damage which will cost the NHS money and showed no respect for the staff and fellow patients on the ward - people who suffer from respiratory problems. . . .

We believe this incident creates an opportunity to set down a marker and, in future, if someone smokes in a hospital they should, at the very least, face a very hefty fine.

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Cigarette, fire Glenfield Leicester hospital, Ward 16  

A patient smoking a sneaky cigarette in a hospital bed accidentally started a fire which forced a ward to be evacuated, it has emerged.

Twenty nine patients fled Ward 16 at Glenfield Hospital and three members of staff needed treatment for smoke inhalation following the blaze.

Hospital bosses are carrying out an internal inquiry into the fire, which happened on Christmas Day.

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Careless Smoking Blamed For Fatal Pontiac Fire 

Authorities say careless smoking is to blame for a fire in Pontiac that killed a 67-year-old man.

Investigators say the man was rescued from the burning home on Gingell Street around 11: 40 p.m. Wednesday, but died at the hospital. Neighbors actually kicked in the front door to try to help him.

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Leyton hostel fire caused by cigarette 

A CIGARETTE is believed to have started a blaze in a ten-storey hostel last night (January 31).

Sixty residents had to evacuate the Leyton building when the fire started at around 5.30pm after a cigarette is thought to have been left alight.

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Fire at hostel in Leyton, Waltham Forest, blamed on cigarette  

A cigarette left to burn is being blamed for a fire at a 10-storey building in Leyton, Waltham Forest.

Sixty residents fled the hostel in Lea Bridge Road when fire broke out shortly after 5.30pm on Tuesday.

Six fire engines and around 30 firefighters tackled the blaze

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AZ woman burned after cigarette ignites oxygen tank 

A Peoria women suffered serious burns when the cigarette she was smoking sparked a flash fire inside her home near 87th Avenue and Bell Road.

"Oxygen acts just like gasoline in flames and heat," said Rick Piccard with Phoenix fire. "It's a fuel and actually causes whatever is around you to burn much more rapidly. So flames in an oxygen rich environment like oxygen tubing and towels immediately ignite."

Piccard said the woman is in serious but stable condition.

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Fire Marshal: Cigarette ashes caused New Canaan blaze 

New Canaan Fire Marshal Fred Baker says discarded cigarette ashes ignited the Jan. 15 blaze that tore through a house on Fawn Lane and left a family of three homeless.

The four-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot home at 43 Fawn Lane was completely destroyed in the blaze, and two firefighters with New Canaan Fire Company No. 1 suffered minor injuries.

Baker said the fire started after the homeowner disposed of an ashtray full of ciggarette butts into a plastic container on the rear deck, which was positioned adjacent to patio cushions made from foam rubber.

"One of the nifty characteristics of foam rubber is it burns really, really, really quickly," he said.

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PFD: Woman's Face Burned While Smoking, Using Oxygen 

PEORIA, Ariz. - A fire in the northwest valley leaves a woman badly burned.

Crews were called to home near 87th Avenue and Bell Road Tuesday morning.

Firefighters say the woman who uses an oxygen tank was smoking a cigarette and the tank caught fire.

Her face was burned while trying to put out the flames.

"She had been doing this for years and it had never caught up with her. Today was the day it caught up with her," said Dep. Captain Rick Picard of the Peoria Fire Department.

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Laconia man badly burned when cigarette ignites medical oxygen supply  

A Jameson Street man was seriously burned when he fell asleep smoking a cigarette Saturday afternoon. The flames were fueled by an oxygen tank.

Fire Chief Ken Erickson said it appeared the victim, who is not being identified, used an in-home oxygen breathing system and was smoking a cigarette.

He said the man appeared to have fallen asleep while sitting in a chair and dropped the cigarette. The flames, fueled by the oxygen, quickly engulfed him and Erickson said he was standing outside his apartment when firefighters arrived.

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