Severe injuries from fire prompt warning

LYNNWOOD — A woman suffered life-threatening burns early Sunday after she fell asleep while smoking.

The woman’s husband called 911 about 12:20 a.m., and firefighters rushed to the couple’s home in the Norma Beach area north of Lynnwood, Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.

The fire started when the woman’s pajamas apparently caught fire after she fell asleep while smoking in bed. Her husband was watching TV in another room. The fire didn’t spread anywhere else in the house, Hynes said.

Medics drove the woman, in her 50s, to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Because of privacy laws, her condition was not immediately available Monday.

Thousands of people suffer burns in the United States each year. This week has been designated National Burn Awareness Week to educate people about burns, Snohomish County Fire District 7 educator Autumn Waite said.

Fires started by cigarettes and other smoking products are the leading cause of fire deaths in the country, Hynes said. Just a few weeks ago a woman died at her Edmonds home in a fire caused by an improperly discarded cigarette.

In Monroe, firefighters in less than a year responded to four incidents where people suffered burns, educator Richelle Risdon said. Two cases were fatal,

Older people and children especially are at risk for burns and scalding, she said. To help keep children safe from getting burned, teach them to stay away from stoves and fireplaces and store matches and lighters up high. Before bathing a child, make sure the water heater is set at 120 degrees.

Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.