A relatively small fire Wednesday evening was the third such incident this year in Las Cruces caused by someone smoking a cigarette while on supplemental oxygen.
The Las Cruces Fire Department wishes to remind all supplemental oxygen patients to refrain from smoking or being anywhere near an open flame while using medical oxygen.
The Wednesday, Aug. 21, fire was relatively minor in size and damage, but did injure a 63-year-old woman who was determined to be smoking while on supplemental oxygen. The fire, reported shortly before 9 p.m. at 915 S. Mesquite St., caused less than $500 in property damage and was extinguished before firefighters arrived on scene. The woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Two previous fires in 2019 – May 17 at 2801 W. Picacho Ave. and May 18 at 2255 W. Picacho Ave. – were caused by individuals who also were smoking while using supplemental oxygen. The two victims in those cases, both women, were transported to a burn center in Lubbock for advanced care.
Victims of supplemental oxygen/cigarette fires usually suffer severe burns to their face, nose and upper airway. Once transported to a hospital, they can be on a ventilator for several weeks. Even though supplemental oxygen/cigarette fires sometimes cause minor property damage, they can cause critical and sometimes fatal injuries to victims.
Information from Las Cruces Police