Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) extinguished a fire that severely injured a woman at Miranda, in Sydney's south, overnight.
Emergency services were called around 1 am to a home on Montgomery Street, where they found a woman suffering burns after a small blaze in her bedroom. It is understood that the woman's partner had already moved her to a shower and began running water over the burns in an effort to reduce her pain.
NSW Ambulance paramedics
FRNSW firefighters quickly doused the mattress and bedding, which were still smoldering
FRNSW firefighters quickly doused the mattress and bedding, which were still smoldering. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the woman before transporting her to the hospital. NSW Police detectives are now working to determine what caused the fire.
One possibility being strongly considered is whether the woman had been smoking near a supplemental oxygen cylinder, triggering an explosion.
FRNSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said open flames, such as a cigarette lighter or a lit cigarette, are dangerous in an oxygen-rich environment.
Run appliances with open flames
"While oxygen isn't flammable, a cigarette burns quicker and more intensely in a room containing supplemental oxygen, and can spark a catastrophic explosion," said Supt Dewberry.
He adds, "You should never smoke or run appliances with open flames in any room containing medical-grade oxygen. The woman's partner did the right thing by immediately applying water to the burn areas until emergency services arrived."