Disabled man dies in mattress fire

Stephen Curran

Monday, March 28, 2005 | 11:09 a.m.

A disabled Las Vegas man died this morning after a cigarette ignited the mattress in his downtown studio apartment, fire officials said.

The man's name was not released by authorities, but neighbors identified him as Dana Johnson. Police found him about 8:30 a.m. in his first-floor apartment in the Sunstate Apartments in the 400 block of South First Street near Clark Avenue, Tim Szymanski, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman said.

Metro Police were the first to respond to reports of smoke coming from the apartment, Szymanski said. Once inside, officers found the man dead and his mattress smoldering. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other damage was reported. The fire was confined to the mattress and did not appear even to have damaged the headboard.

"You could clean this up and not know anything had occurred," Szymanski said.

Investigators are looking into what caused the fire, although Szymanski said it appeared to be linked to "careless smoking."

Whether he tried to escape was under investigation this morning.

People who knew him estimated the man's age at 56.

An apartment manager, who declined to give her name, said the man she called Mr. Johnson had lived in the three-story complex for 18 years.

Neighbor Llynda Fitzgerald said she had known Johnson, whom she and others called "Caner," for about 10 years and that he had suffered prolonged hip problems. The nickname referred to the cane he used.

Fitzgerald described him as a "witty man with a sharp mind." She was the first to call police when she saw the smoke coming from his apartment.

Robert Fillipone said he had been friends with Johnson for the past 12 years and would frequently help him cash Social Security checks and do food shopping.

"It's like losing a brother, but it's not the first time," Fillipone said, who added his fiancee recently died.