Utah man suffers life-threatening burns after smoking near oxygen tank
Jan 25, 2022, 8:42 AM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 6:03 pm
WEST JORDAN, Utah — A 75-year-old West Jordan man is in the hospital with severe burns after his house caught on fire.
Friends of John Fox said the incident happened Wednesday at his home on Kenyon Circle where he lit a cigarette too close to his oxygen tank.
“He lit a cigarette and dropped it and he couldn’t stop it. It was just seconds before the house started in flames,” Brandy King said.
King, who lives with and cares for Fox, said his doctors are not sure if he will recover due to his age and the extent of his burns. They fear an infection from his injuries will most likely take his life.
“So 10% of his body has third-degree burns. They won’t skin graph any of that because his skin is so fragile and it just won’t take,” King said. “He has weeks, if not months to live.”
At the time of the accident, King was on her way home from work. She is still in shock and disbelief that something like this could have happened.
“If I was home just a few more minutes before, you know, maybe I could have helped or been there to make sure that didn’t happen,” King said.
She hopes this incident serves as a warning to those who smoke and have oxygen tanks in the home.
“One little mistake could just change your whole life,” she said. “If you smoke at home and have an oxygen tank, just turn it off because it’s not only your life that you are saving if you do, it’s your loved ones around you.”
Friends have set up a GoFundMe* campaign to help with medical expenses as Fox is moved out of the hospital into hospice care.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.