Man seriously injured in eastern Las Vegas apartment fire

An “elderly man” was hospitalized with second-degree burns Wednesday morning after “a combination of smoking material and medical oxygen” caused a fire, the Las Vegas Fire Department said.

Fire crews were called about 7:20 a.m. to 2300 Olive St., near Eastern Avenue and Charleston Boulevard. “Very light smoke” was seen coming from the two-story building when firefighters arrived, the department said.

Inside one of the apartments, firefighters found an “elderly man with second-degree burns to his face and feet,” the department said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. The man was covered with soot and was having difficulty breathing.

“The fire was small and quickly extinguished,” the department said. Investigators believe that smoking material and medical oxygen “caused a flash fire that caught the man’s clothing on fire.”

The department initially reported that the man was injured in a mattress fire.

The man was taken to the University Medical Center’s burn unit, where he remained in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, the department said.

The damage to the building was estimated at $1,000.

“It is never safe to smoke when medical oxygen is located in a residence,” the department said. “The oxygen can enrich clothing, skin and hair, which will make it all burn rapidly if an ignition source is introduced, causing a flash fire.”

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.