INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man died Monday after his snowblower caught on fire and the flames traveled to his clothing.
Firefighters were called to a home at 43rd and Sheridan just before 5:30 p.m., according to the Indianapolis Fire Department.
LISTEN: Rita Reith discusses dangers with heat sources.
“The information that we have both from him and from family members is that he was working on his snow blower in his garage, preparing it for the winter months, was filling the snowblower gas tank at the same time he was smoking a cigarette,” said Indianapolis Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Rita Reith.
The snowblower caught on fire and the flames spread to Jonnie Douglas’s clothing. Douglas, 78, died at the hospital.
Reith said their hearts go out to the family.
“Any time that you’re working around a combustible material such as gasoline, we don’t want you to have any kind of heat source around that: no cigarettes, no candles, no heating elements,” said Reith.
She said several fires had been caused in the capital city between Monday night and Tuesday morning because of people not being careful with heating sources.
Reith said you need to pay special attention, especially with space heaters, making sure the cord is in good shape, that you have a clear space to operate them in, without any clothes, bedding or curtains around. She said you should also turn them off before you go to sleep.
