Friday, May 10, 2013 | 10:47 p.m.
A group of people rescued an elderly man from a burning couch inside his apartment Friday night after they noticed smoke coming from his doorway.
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue responded to reports of the fire about 8 p.m. at the Mavericks Apartment Complex at 221 Bruce Street near Charleston Boulevard.
A man in his 60s was sitting on his couch when it caught fire from a cigarette, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said. A medical issue prevented him from walking, leaving him trapped on the burning couch.
Nearby neighbors saw the smoke coming out of his open front door. They armed themselves with fire extinguishers to stave off the flames and then ran inside to pull the man out, Szymanski said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire in less than a minute after their arrival. The man was transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in serious condition.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire started when the man had rested a lit cigarette near his medical oxygen equipment next to the couch. The oxygen accelerated the fire, spreading onto the couch, Szymanski said.
The fire caused approximately $10,000 in damage to the apartment. No one else was injured in the incident.