A 62-year-old woman is in critical condition after a fire at her home Sunday afternoon.
According to the Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal, the fire broke out at around 1 p.m. on the 500 block of West Commerce Street. When firefighters from the the Citizens Hose Company arrived, they discovered an active fire on the second floor. The woman was transported to Bayhealth Kent General Hospital with inner airway burns and second-degree burns to her face.
According to investigators, the fire originated in a second floor bedroom when the victim attempted to light a cigarette while on oxygen. At that point, a fire started, catching the bedding on fire and burning the woman.
The State Fire Marshal's office says the fire caused $50,000 in damage. Five adults and two children were displaced by the fire, but the American Red Cross is assisting them.
The State Fire Marshal's office says the home was not equipped with a smoke alarm.