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Mount Carmel fire blamed on cigarette, medical oxygen tank

A Wednesday night house fire on Elm Street in Mount Carmel has been attributed to a person using medical oxygen while smoking a cigarette, a combination that has resulted in several serious residential fires in the region over the past year and a half.

At 8:43 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters were dispatched to 534 Elm St. in Mount Carmel, a residence occupied by Varcilla Jackson, 57, and her father Guy Cobb, 81.

Mount Carmel Volunteer Fire Department Chief Chris Jones said Jackson, who is on a medical oxygen tank, was lying in bed and fell asleep while smoking a cigarette.

“She woke and the cigarette had burned the air line in two, and it was on fire,” Jones said. “She took it into the bathroom and stuck it in some water, and she thought the fire was extinguished. When she came back through the house she saw her bedroom fully engulfed in fire.”

Jackson and Cobb escaped the residence, although Cobb reportedly suffered minor burns on his face while attempting to save their pet cat. The cat perished in the fire.

Cobb was transported to Holston Valley Medical Center, where he was admitted overnight for treatment. Jones said family members told him Cobb was expected to be released from the hospital Thursday.

Jones said the fire spread throughout the house quickly, and when firefighters arrived there was heavy smoke pouring from all the eves in the house.

Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the house and then attacked the fire from the inside. They spent the most time extinguishing hot spots in the attic.

The fire was reported under control at 9:45 p.m.

Assisting at the scene were the Church Hill and Carters Valley fire departments.

This was the third fire in Hawkins County since January 2008 directly attributed to a combination of cigarette smoking and use of a medical oxygen tank.

One such fire destroyed a mobile home on South Fork Branch Road in the Persia community on Jan. 12, 2008. Another occurred Dec. 5, 2008, and destroyed a home on Longs Bend Road in the Stanley Valley community.

On April 26, 2008, a Sullivan County woman was killed in a house fire on Bancroft Chapel Road in the Bloomingdale community of Sullivan County in a house fire that investigators attributed to the combination of a lit cigarette and medical oxygen use.

And although authorities haven’t released an exact cause for the fatal fire this past April in The Landings apartment complex in Church Hill, witnesses and firefighters said it was an exploding medical oxygen tank that caused that fire to spread as quickly as it did.

Jones said Thursday some people apparently don’t realize that pure oxygen used in medical tanks is extremely combustible. Smoking and oxygen tanks don’t mix, Jones said.

“This is concentrated oxygen, and fire requires oxygen to burn,” Jones said. “When people mix lit cigarettes or lighters or matches with (medical) oxygen, then you’re going to have a pretty intense fire that’s really difficult for an individual person to put out. That’s basically what’s happened in this case, and that’s what’s happened in several other fires in our area.”

Jones added, “When people on oxygen are either smoking or there’s an ignition source, and it causes the fire, people don’t realize the danger involved in this. If they’re tired and they’re smoking, and they fall asleep, the next thing you know you’ve got a fire and there’s a good possibility you can’t get out.”

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you cannot fix stupid. period. if this was prehistoric times people like this would quickly be eaten by predators or die in a tar pit.

Jesco White | 6/5/2009 - 4:35 PM - (Suggest Removal )

I wonder if smoking was the cause of the need for oxygen. Regardless, this is another example of the addictive power nicotine has over a person. Perhaps this incident will have Ms. Jackson question her need for tobacco in the future? Meanwhile, the insurance adjusters will take note.

Mark M | 6/5/2009 - 4:21 PM - (Suggest Removal )

Just for your knowledge D.P
Label from the oxygen says
Highly concentrated sources of oxygen promote rapid combustion. Fire and explosion hazards exist when concentrated oxidants and fuels are brought into close proximity; however, an ignition event, such as heat or a spark, is needed to trigger combustion. Oxygen itself is not the fuel, but the oxidant. Combustion hazards also apply to compounds of oxygen with a high oxidative potential, such as peroxides, chlorates, nitrates, perchlorates, and dichromates because they can donate oxygen to a fire
The firefighter know what Oxygen is and how it contributes to these fires. I have seen the results from this fire and the fire at the Landings in which that one had a fatality and a serious burn victim which had to be flown out to a Major burn center. These people were lucky and got out. The put the stickers on the Oxygen bottle to warn you of these dangers. Smoking is a hard habit to break since most have been smoking all their lives but they should not risk their lives and the lives of others in and around their homes. If you know a loved one who is on oxygen and still smokes tell them about these fires and the dangers of mixing the two.

Stacy Barton | 6/5/2009 - 2:00 PM - (Suggest Removal )

As a firefighter, please let me be the first to educate you that Oxygen is one of THREE requirements for Fire - Heat and Fuel are the other two.

Brian Estep | 6/5/2009 - 10:20 AM - (Suggest Removal )

For the Millionth time! Oxygen is not flammable! It is an accelerator! It is dangerous. It aids in burning! It intensifies a fire. It should not be smoked around. BUT IT IS NOT FLAMMABLE! I am worried because I have seen several statements lately about firemen saying oxygen is flammable. They should know about these things more than anyone! Tell us the dangers, but tell us the truth!

D P | 6/5/2009 - 9:52 AM - (Suggest Removal )

I wonder if charges will be filed and a law passed to hang people that smoke while on Oxygen? Liberals must be appeased.

Jane Adams | 6/5/2009 - 9:03 AM - (Suggest Removal )

Varcilla Jackson should be commended for her attempts to simultaneously support Big Pharma and Big Tobacco. Sean Hannity would no doubt call her a great Uh-Mer-Can.

Virgil Caine | 6/5/2009 - 8:58 AM - (Suggest Removal )

And just think you all are probably paying for that oxygen.

Peter Stevenson | 6/5/2009 - 8:30 AM - (Suggest Removal )

Poor cat.

Michelle Daniel | 6/5/2009 - 6:58 AM - (Suggest Removal )

This is insane. I just can't imagine what is in a person's mind - not only smoking while obviously needing assistance breathing - but to smoke around oxygen at all is just crazy.

Thank goodness no human life was lost, but the cat didn't deserve to die because of her negligence.

Elaine Brown | 6/5/2009 - 6:58 AM - (Suggest Removal )

A person needs oxygen obviously to help them breath and yet they still continue to smoke cigarettes. That meets the definition of "ain't got no sense".

QT P2T | 6/5/2009 - 1:46 AM - (Suggest Removal )

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