Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Woman critically burned trying to put out house fire

Fire

Courtesy of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue

The aftermath of a fire is shown at a single-story house in the 1700 block of Willowbrook Drive, near North Rancho and Vegas drives.

A woman was hospitalized with critical burns today after she escaped a house fire but apparently went back inside to try to put out the blaze with a garden hose, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said.

The woman, whose name was not released, was taken to University Medical Center with second- and third-degree burns, fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said. It appears she suffered burns to her face, arms and hands, he said.

No other injuries were reported.

Crews received calls about 11:15 a.m. of a palm tree on fire and smoke coming from a single-story house in the 1700 block of Willowbrook Drive, near North Rancho and Vegas drives, Szymanski said.

Firefighters found thick smoke and a heavy fire coming from the front door and the rear of the house, he said.

At least two adults and a child were home and escaped after a smoke alarm sounded, Szymanski said. But witnesses reported that the woman went back inside to try to put out the fire, he said.

The fire caused an estimated $75,000 damage and spread to a large palm tree and the exterior of a neighboring house, Szymanski said.

Investigators believe the fire started on a patio sofa where residents smoked, but the cause of the fire could not be determined, Szymanski said.

The American Red Cross of Southern Nevada and the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Foundation are aiding five adults and five children displaced by the fire, he said.

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