Fatal fires prompt safety reminder for oxygen patients | News | uniondemocrat.com

Close-up of oxygen mask holding by eldery patient in hospital. Home oxygen therapy.

Medical oxygen equipment was determined to be involved in causing two fatal house fires in Tuolumne County that left two men dead and another injured, prompting local fire officials to issue a safety reminder to others who require the use of oxygen at their homes.

Brent Kenneth Shock, 71, died Aug. 31 when his mobile home caught fire on the 23000 block of Italian Bar Road outside of Columbia. About a month later, 84-year-old Richard Mello was killed in an Oct. 5 blaze at his home on the 18100 block of Bodenhammer Avenue in Tuolumne.

Andrew Murphy, assistant chief of the county Fire Department and Cal Fire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit, said an investigator determined the cause of the fire at Shock’s home to likely be either medical oxygen equipment or smoking.

Murphy said another investigator determined the fire at Mello’s home was caused by medical oxygen equipment that wasn’t plugged directly into a grounded outlet.

Another man at Mello’s home suffered burn injuries and had to be flown by helicopter to hospital outside of the county for medical treatment, though Murphy said he didn’t have an update on his condition. The injured man’s identity hasn’t been released.

The county Fire Department noted the recent deaths in an announcement Monday to anyone in the county who requires the use of oxygen at their home.

“Normal air contains 21% oxygen; however, home oxygen delivers 100% oxygen,” the department stated. “The addition of oxygen to normal room air increases the energy, heat release, and severity of any fire in the home.”

Oxygen can also saturate clothing, bedding and other materials near where the oxygen is being used and increase their flammability, the department added.

The department provided the following tips for staying safe while using oxygen therapy at home:

• Never smoke or allow others to smoke near you when using oxygen therapy.

• Avoid flammable products, such as oil, grease and petroleum-based items, which can ignite violently in an oxygen-rich environment. Use non-petroleum-based moisturizers if needed.

• Maintain a distance of at least 5 feet from gas stoves, candles and other heat sources.

• Install thermal fuses in-line in the oxygen delivery tubing — one close to the patient and another near the oxygen source. In the event of a fire, these devices are engineered to automatically stop the flow of oxygen, enhancing safety.

• Use only grounded outlets for oxygen concentrators and avoid extension cords.

• Install smoke detectors throughout the home and keep a fire extinguisher accessible. Make sure everyone in the household knows how to use it.

• Store oxygen tanks upright in a well-ventilated area, away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

• Keep equipment clean and in good working order, and regularly inspect your oxygen tubing and mask.

For more comprehensive safety tips, see a medical oxygen safety tip sheet by the National Fire Protection Association at http://bit.ly/48EWD9Q or watch a video by the NFPA at https://bit.ly/3Atq3uM.

Contact Alex MacLean at [email protected] or (209) 588-4541.