September 18, 2003

Woman's cigarette ignites oxygen fire

       An elderly Greenwood woman suffered extensive burns early Wednesday morning when she lighted a cigarette while on oxygen equipment, sparking a fire.  Firefighters were called to the home of Ruth Harmison at 1:01 a.m. Wednesday. They found the 79-year-old Harmison standing in the yard of her home in the 500 block of Yorktown Road with burns to her chest, arms and face, Greenwood Fire Chief Steve Dhondt said.  Harmison was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis, but her condition was not available Wednesday afternoon.  She was conscious and talking to emergency crews when they arrived, Dhondt said. She was able to tell firefighters exactly how the fire began.  Harmison was alone in the bedroom of her ranch-style home when she lighted a cigarette. Because she was on oxygen equipment, the cigarette became an ignition source in an oxygen-rich environment, creating a rapid burn, Dhondt said.  The ignition did not spark an explosion but rather a fire that accelerated quickly, burning nearby combustible materials, Dhondt said. In this case, Harmison’s clothes and bedding were also burnt.  When firefighters arrived at the home, the rear bedroom and attic above were ablaze, Dhondt said. The fire was under control within 15 minutes, but the entire home suffered smoke damage.  The blaze caused $35,000 worth of damage to the home and destroyed $10,000 in contents, according to preliminary estimates.  Firefighting crews from three Greenwood fire stations and one White River Township fire station responded. They remained on the scene until about 2:45 a.m., Dhondt said.    (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

  

  

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