Cigarette Possibly Fueled Fire In N. Mathilda Apartment That Sent Elderly Man To Hospital

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – A cigarette may have caused a two-alarm fire that sparked at a Sunnyvale apartment building late Wednesday night, sending an elderly man to a hospital, according to the city's Department of Public Safety.

Crews responded to a report of a fire in the 500 block of North Mathilda Avenue just north of West Maude Avenue around 11:30 p.m., public safety Capt. Shawn Ahearn said.

When crews arrived they found a downstairs unit fully involved in flames, Ahearn said.

The unit's resident, an 88-year-old man, was found suffering from smoke inhalation and burns outside the two-story building, according to Ahearn.

The man was transported to a hospital, but Ahearn didn't have an update on his condition or the severity of his burns this afternoon. No other injuries were reported.

Neighboring residents either evacuated on their own or were instructed by fire personnel to leave their homes as a precaution, according to Ahearn.

The fire was extinguished about an hour later and contained to the downstairs unit, which was deemed a total loss, the captain said.

Some surrounding apartments sustained minor smoke damage, according to Ahearn.

It appeared the 88-year-old man who lived by himself was a smoker and didn't properly put out a cigarette left in the kitchen, Ahearn said.

The elderly resident woke up to smoke, but it's not clear if he was awakened by smoke alarms, which were activated when crews reached the scene, according to Ahearn. The man was able to escape through his front door past the kitchen, the captain said.

Anyone who plans to use a cigarette is advised to smoke outside and ensure it is extinguished in sand or an ashtray to prevent a fire, Ahearn said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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