A 62-year-old woman whose lit cigarette ignited her clothing suffered life-threatening injuries late Saturday, fire officials said.
The unidentified woman suffered third-degree burns to much of her body in the apartment fire reported at 8:23 p.m. in the 200 block of West 23rd Street, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“She may have been smoking when she ignited her clothing,” Humphrey told City News Service on Saturday night. “She fell into a pile of clothes and rolled trying to put out the fire.”
The flames were out when firefighters arrived.
The woman suffered third degree burns to her right arm, upper chest area, back and face, including her nose and mouth, Humphrey said.
She was taken to California Medical Center in critical condition and was expected to be transferred to a burn unit once stabilized. It was unknown exactly how much of the woman's body was burned, but Humphrey said her injuries are life-threatening.
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