T O P I C R E V I E W
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Cobra5.0Jeep
Member # 1482
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posted
This lady wouldn't have been on oxygen if she didn't smoke so much when she was younger.
A Grass Valley woman sustained burns on more than half her body Tuesday morning when flames flaring from her oxygen pump, ignited by her cigarette, exploded several oxygen tanks and burned down her home on the 11,000 block of Lovas Court.
Deborah Miller was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for burns she sustained shortly before 6 a.m. in the house fire. She was in critical condition Tuesday evening.
“She’s a real nice lady,” said next door neighbor Donnie Torres, 27. “I just wish I could have done more for her.”
Two of Miller’s family members received minor injuries in the fire, said Nevada County Consolidated Fire District Fire Chief Tim Fike.
Miller’s sister, Dawn Minchinton, suffered a burn on her hand and Miller’s son reportedly cracked his rib as he tried to escape the fire out a front window. Miller’s husband, Grass Valley radiologist Tom Miller, was not injured.
Reported to be in her 50s, Miller had respiratory problems, Fike said, and required constant oxygen. She was in her bedroom, hooked up to the oxygen and smoking a cigarette when it ignited her home oxygen pump, he said.
“It provided enough oxygen to spread the fire 15 to 20 feet into the center of the house,” he said.
Torres and his wife, Christina, said a frantic Minchinton pounded on their front door shortly before 6 a.m. yelling that her house was on fire. The couple ran next door, put Miller on a tarp and began moving her from the front bedroom out the front door.
Miller was found on the ground next to her bed, engulfed in flames.
“I’ve never dealt with someone with severe burns,” Torres said. “We couldn’t pick her up because we didn’t want to do any more damage.”
As they moved Miller, eight more oxygen tanks stored in Miller’s bedroom began to explode.
“Once those open flames hit oxygen, it’s like a blow torch,” Torres said.
The fire department arrived shortly before the tanks exploded.
“It looked like fireworks were going off,” Fike said. “Debris was just raining down.”
A newer Ford Mustang, parked in the garage, also went up in flames when the fire reached the car’s gas tank, firefighters said.
Fike said two pet dogs died in the fire, while one pet pit bull survived and was staying with a neighbor.
Torres said two cats were also killed in the fire.
A representative from the family’s insurance company arrived at the fire scene Tuesday morning to take pictures of the destruction.
The house, with an estimated worth of $350,000, and its contents were a total loss. A storage area on the side of the house containing a bookshelf and a few boxes of appliances, books and personal belongings was untouched by the flames.
The rest of the house was gutted and charred Tuesday, soaked with water and fire suppression foam.
The family is reportedly staying with another family member in Grass Valley, and have been assisted by the local chapter of the American Red Cross.
EDIT:
Burn Victim Dies
Deborah Miller, the 52-year-old Grass Valley woman badly burned in a house fire on the 11000 block of Lovas Court, died Friday in her hospital room at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
Members of Miller's family were with her when she died of complications from third-degree burns to more than half her body, a hospital representative said Friday.
Miller had been in critical condition since Tuesday morning. She was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center after her home burned down.
"This family has lost everything," said Clint Timmons, Miller's nephew-in-law. The family is staying with Timmons at his Grass Valley home.
Fire officials say Miller was hooked up to an oxygen pump and smoking a cigarette when the fire ignited. Timmons said Miller used oxygen for a low oxygen level in her blood.
Approximately eight oxygen tanks stored in the house exploded during the fire, and the house was a total loss.
Miller's husband Tom Miller, son Wes Miller and sister Dawn Minchinton received minor burns trying to help Miller, according to fire officials and Timmons.
Two pet dogs and a cat were also lost in the fire.
Nevada County Consolidated Fire Chief Tim Fike said the local chapter of the American Red Cross is helping the family with basic necessities like food and supplies.
A trust account in Tom Miller's name has also been set up at Citizen's Bank, and donations can be dropped off at any bank branch. Checks can be made out to The Thomas Miller Relief Fund. [ February 04, 2006, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Cobra5.0Jeep ]
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uh0h50
Member # 3125
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posted
damn smokers... i feel for the mustang more though.
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sharkattack
Member # 645
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posted
Idiots
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Camaro Kid Z/28
Member # 3100
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posted
disco inferno baby! i do not feel sorry for her!
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Cobra5.0Jeep
Member # 1482
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posted
Heres pics of the house burning down and firefighters fighting the fire.
http://www.theunion.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=TU&Date=20060201&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=201001&Ref=PH
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02GeeTee
Member # 5905
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posted
I need to smoke more!
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pharaoh
Member # 6355
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posted
Dam, I'm trying to quit smoking *AGAIN*. It's f@#king hard ....Have some one in here stoped SMOKING??. !Do you know if the pach works?, or know some one that have use it?.
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92stangLX
Member # 3252
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posted
Ok, you using oxygen and you are smoking
She deserves the top nomination for the darwin award for sure
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slidewayz94
Member # 3101
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posted
simply amazaing, you can't breathe on your own so have oxygen and still puffing on that cancer stick
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94gt
Member # 3060
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posted
quote: Originally posted by 92stangLX: She deserves the top nomination for the darwin award for sure
Correct me, if I'm wrong, but...I believe the person has to actually die to be nominated?
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92stangLX
Member # 3252
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posted
quote: Originally posted by 94gt: quote: Originally posted by 92stangLX: She deserves the top nomination for the darwin award for sure
Correct me, if I'm wrong, but...I believe the person has to actually die to be nominated?
Well she is in critical condition so she still may have a chance If she makes it she will be eligable for an honorable mention.
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88DroptopGT
Member # 2535
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posted
That sucks for the mustang.
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PWR HNGRY 302
Member # 6000
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posted
Smoking is ghey, poor mustang.
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svt306snake
Member # 1967
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posted
thats just dumb i guess no one told that her tanks and flames dont go together
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Cobra5.0Jeep
Member # 1482
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posted
Everyone in the gym is talking about this tonight. No one understands how she could be so dumb to have been smoking while on oxygen. I would think once your on oxygen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that it would be such a shock that you would quit smoking.
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50Reasons
Member # 6452
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posted
that sucks
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Cobra5.0Jeep
Member # 1482
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posted
Burn Victim Dies
Deborah Miller, the 52-year-old Grass Valley woman badly burned in a house fire on the 11000 block of Lovas Court, died Friday in her hospital room at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
Members of Miller's family were with her when she died of complications from third-degree burns to more than half her body, a hospital representative said Friday.
Miller had been in critical condition since Tuesday morning. She was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center after her home burned down.
"This family has lost everything," said Clint Timmons, Miller's nephew-in-law. The family is staying with Timmons at his Grass Valley home.
Fire officials say Miller was hooked up to an oxygen pump and smoking a cigarette when the fire ignited. Timmons said Miller used oxygen for a low oxygen level in her blood.
Approximately eight oxygen tanks stored in the house exploded during the fire, and the house was a total loss.
Miller's husband Tom Miller, son Wes Miller and sister Dawn Minchinton received minor burns trying to help Miller, according to fire officials and Timmons.
Two pet dogs and a cat were also lost in the fire.
Nevada County Consolidated Fire Chief Tim Fike said the local chapter of the American Red Cross is helping the family with basic necessities like food and supplies.
A trust account in Tom Miller's name has also been set up at Citizen's Bank, and donations can be dropped off at any bank branch. Checks can be made out to The Thomas Miller Relief Fund.
Darwin awards?
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