Two men were critically injured and a dog was killed in a late night house fire in Pueblo.
The fire started about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday at 302 N. Glendale Avenue on the city’s east side, according to a Pueblo Fire Department media release.
Investigators believe the cause of the fire, based, in part, on a victim’s statement, was an oxygen tube igniting, sparked by a cigarette.
When firefighters arrived heavy fire was involved in the front of the home and the two men were already outside.
A police officer was performing CPR on one man, who had stopped breathing.
Both men were flown to a Denver hospital with life-threatening injuries, the release said.
At least one explosion was reported during the fire, likely a medical oxygen bottle that ruptured.
“We have experienced several tragedies within recent months involving the extreme danger of combining medical oxygen use and smoking,” Chief Chris Riley said in the release.
Riley said people should not be smoking around oxygen tanks and the cause of such fires are ” entirely preventable.”
Five people have died in Pueblo in oxygen tank related fires in the past two years and there’s been several other “close calls,” the fire department said.
People on oxygen who smoke should take extreme caution and leave the area of the tank, smoking outside or in a separate room.
Oxygenated clothing, material, furniture and the human body, including skin and hair, are highly flammable. Fire will burn hotter and faster in an oxygen rich environment.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or
