Fire Department officials have commented that a Thursday afternoon fire at an assisted living facility was sparked by a resident who was apparently smoking a cigarette while wearing an oxygen hose. The man was smoking in his room when the fire spread to the bedspread and the rest of the 4th floor room, prompting the smoke alarm to sound and the sprinkles to go off.

When crews arrived, they found that the man had ran out of the building and suffered a cardiac arrest. All assisted living facility staff and residents were evacuated due to the fire.  The sprinklers were able to contain the fire to the single bedroom, causing water damage to the unit. The man was hospitalized and the latest on his condition is unknown. No one else had to be treated. For more, read the story.

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Robert W. Carter, Jr. is a Virginia attorney whose law practice is dedicated to protecting the rights of the victims of nursing home and assisted living neglect and abuse in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk, Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, and across Virginia.