Hermitage Man Falls Asleep Cooking, Oxygen Tank Explodes

HERMITAGE, TN — An oxygen tank exploded when a man fell asleep while cooking inside his Hermitage apartment Wednesday night.

Nashville Fire officials said a man's apartment was completely destroyed by the fire, but he was saved by a passerby who saw the flames and went inside the Hickory Hill Lane apartment and helped the sleeping chef escape. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

Heat and sparks from the cooking fire ignited the oxygen tank.

Miraculously, neighboring units only suffered smoke damage, but the occupants were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross.

Image via Shutterstock