Man severely burned after falling asleep at a Lake Tahoe resort

A man who was visiting Lake Tahoe is now in the U.C. Davis Burn Center after falling asleep in front of a fireplace and catching on fire.

Just after midnight on December 5, Tahoe Douglas Fire crews responded to the Ridge Tahoe on a call of a man burned in a fire in one of their rooms. The unidentified man fell asleep in front of a gas fireplace. He awoke to find himself on fire and called for help. Firemen extinguished the fire and the man was transported via Cal Star to the burn center. He was reported to have severe burns to just under 50 percent of his body.

The fire was limited to the man's clothing and the carpet flooring.

According to Eric Guevin, Fire Marshal for Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, being too close to a fireplace, whether wood, gas or electric, can cause combustion.

He said this tragedy serves as a reminder to not place papers, curtains or other combustible items within three feet of a source of heat, including space heater. Even when a unit has a thermostat it can still emit heat and cause fire.

Guevin also strongly recommends plugging space heaters directly into a wall and not into an extension cord that doesn't have a breaker in it. The popular strip extension cords used during the holidays are not adequate for appliance use.

No other information from U.C. Davis Burn Center or Ridge Resorts is available at this time.