EDGEMERE, Md. — A fire broke out Wednesday on the fourth floor of a senior living apartment in Edgemere.
Four residents were injured inside St. Luke's Place on Lodge Farm Road, before the sprinkler system could knock down the flames.
Investigators believe the fire was set accidentally by a woman who was smoking in her home while using oxygen.
"A fire ignited and trailed along the oxygen tubing, burning the patient and igniting the couch where she was sitting," the Baltimore County Fire Department said in a press release. "Medical oxygen is enriched, leading to a greatly increased fire hazard because oxygen makes fires burn hotter and spread faster. Smoking should not occur in homes with patients on medical oxygen."
Currently the woman is hospitalized in critical condition, but is expected to survive. Three others suffered less serious injuries.
The fire left residents from nine apartments displaced.
