Las Vegas Sun

November 21, 2009

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Man burned trying to put out mattress fire

Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 | 7:55 p.m.

House fire

A Henderson man suffered second-degree burns to his hands while trying to extinguish a mattress fire Saturday afternoon, Henderson Fire Department officials said.

The man was trying to get a burning mattress out of a house at 19 California Way, near Boulder Highway and Lake Mead Drive, officials said.

The fire got out of control and the occupants of the house were forced to evacuate and contact the Henderson Fire Department.

When fire crews arrived shortly before 4 p.m., smoke was coming out of a front window of the home, but firefighters were able to confine the fire to two front bedrooms and a portion of the hallway.

Fire department paramedics treated the injured man at the scene. The fire caused an estimated $70,000 damage, officials said.

The fire department said the fire was caused by the careless use of a lighter.

The incident demonstrates the importance of calling for help as soon as a fire is discovered, the fire officials said.

“Many times occupants believe that they can handle the situation but are all-too-quickly overwhelmed,” said Battalion Chief Tim Hartman. “When you recognize a fire in your home, the single most important thing is to get yourself and all others out.”

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

  1. The poor guy probably figured the Henderson Fire Fighters would charge him a VAT if he called them.

  2. I said it getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes!!

  3. Fire woman, youre to blame..

  4. ha ha ha what a dumb a$$!!!

  5. Ca mon baby light my fire,
    Try to set the nice on, FIRE! ya ya

  6. Another reason you should not eat crackers or play with a lighter in bed....

  7. This is why I own a fire extinguisher - so I don't have to try to fight fires by hand. I also own an RA-15 so I don't have to fight a home invader by hand. Having the right tools for the job is important!

  8. AR-15

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