EG Man Suffers Burns in Apartment Fire after Falling Asleep with Lit Cigarette

A 69-year-old East Greenwich man was taken to Rhode Island Hospital after suffering burns when his clothes -- and then his apartment -- caught fire on Oct. 27.

Crews were dispatched to 252 Marlborough St. at around 6:50 p.m., according to a Police report. The victim reported falling asleep in his living room with a lit cigarette in his mouth. The cigarette then fell into his lap and began burning his clothing.

The victim woke up and in an effort to put out the fire, tore off and threw his clothes into the bathroom, which then began to catch fire, police said.

The building was evacuated for a time as the state Fire Marshal conducted an investigation. Residents were eventually let back in about an hour-and-a-half later.

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