Woman Suffers Severe Burns While Lighting Cigarette
WALLED LAKE (WWJ) - A Walled Lake woman is in critical condition after accidentally setting herself on fire early Monday morning.
Walled Lake Fire Department Captain Jason Gonzales said the 60-year-old woman got up from the hospital bed where she sleeps due to a medical condition to light a cigarette on the stove.
Gonzales said he husband worked for several minutes to snuff out the flames on his wife's body.
"If it wasn't for the smoke alarm waking him up, he would have never known of the fire downstairs," said Gonzales. "It probably would have turned into a much worst situation and there probably would have been a double fatality."
When firefighters arrived on scene at around 4:30 a.m., the woman was airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital burn unit.
Gonzales said the woman remained hospitalized later Monday with severe burns on 80 percent of her body. Her name has not been released.
The townhouse incurred some minor smoke and fire damage. The fire remains under investigation.
