BANGOR, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Monday, Bangor Fire Chief Derek Babcock reported that the cause of a March 5, 2021 fire at 301 Cemetery Road in Bangor was accidental.
According to Chief Babcock, the fire occurred in apartment number one in the complex and claimed the life of a 65-year-old male.
Since the summer of 2020, there have been two fatal fires in Bangor due to smoking while on medical oxygen. When each of the victims used medical oxygen in the home, it created an oxygen- enriched environment. When medical oxygen is used, the amount of oxygen in the air, bedding, furniture, clothing and hair increases, making it easier for the fire to start and spread.
Chief Babcock says that fire can spread more easily whether or not the oxygen machine is currently operating.
“On behalf of the Bangor Community Fire Department, I offer my condolences to the family and friends of the victim,” Chief Babcock said in a statement. “I ask everyone in our community to make sure they have working smoke alarms installed on every level of their home before going to sleep tonight. This is the second fatal fire in less than a year in the City of Bangor caused by the improper use or disposal of smoking materials. In both fires, the lack of functioning smoke alarms is believed to be a contributing factor in the deaths.”
The Bangor Community Fire Department offers free smoke alarms to those who need them, and Chief Babcock encourages people to contact the fire department for further assistance.
“Keep oxygen cylinders and tubing at least 5 feet from a heat source or electrical devices,” Chief Babcock added. “Never use a sparking toy, an open flame such as a match or lighter, a fireplace or stove, smoking materials or any other device fueled by gas, kerosene, wood, or coal where medical oxygen is in use. There is no safe way to smoke when medical oxygen is in use in the home. Turning off the oxygen is not enough because your clothes, hair, bedding and the tubing
soak up the oxygen and become oxygen-enriched.”
Babcock also encourages people with relatives on medical oxygen to help them stop smoking cigarettes.
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