Woman injured in fire after reportedly smoking while using oxygen tank

A woman was injured in a fire after reportedly smoking while using an oxygen tank in her home in East County on Sunday morning, a fire official said.

The fire was reported about 8:45 a.m. at a house on Springs Oak Road off Silvia Road in an unincorporated area near Blossom Valley.

A neighbor unsuccessfully tried to extinguish the fire, said Lakeside Fire Protection District Division Chief John Hisaw.

When firefighters arrived, he said, they found “light smoke” billowing from the front door.

Firefighters put out the fire, which was contained to a bedroom where it started, Hisaw said.

He said the fire caused “minimal” damage, primarily to a mattress and bedding, as well as smoke damage thought the house.

A neighbor told crews the woman said she had been smoking while using an oxygen tank when the fire started. Hisaw said crews confirmed a nasal cannula near an oxygen tank caught fire.

The woman, whose age was unavailable, was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries. The extent of her injuries was unknown, Hisaw said.