Man dies after lighting cigarette while using oxygen generator, Pennsylvania cops say

A Pennsylvania man died after trying to light a cigarette while using an oxygen generator at his home in North Coventry Township, according to police.

Officers responded to a home on Mt. Zion Avenue at 8:14 a.m. on Friday, June 17, the North Coventry Township Police Department said in a release.

The man was actively using the oxygen generator when he tried to light the cigarette — breathing in through a tube running from the machine to his nostrils — and this sparked an “oxygen induced flame” that burned him, police said.

First responders performed CPR on the man and he was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

He later died from his injuries, according to police.

While oxygen itself is not flammable, it does act as an accelerant, helping fires grow larger and spread faster, according to the National Fire Protection Association. More oxygen also allows things to catch on fire at a lower temperature, including human hair and skin.

This story was originally published June 19, 2022 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Man dies after lighting cigarette while using oxygen generator, Pennsylvania cops say."