Wellington woman dies after sparking fire with cigarette and oxygen tank, chief says

An 85-year-old Wellington woman died Tuesday morning in a house fire caused by her smoking a cigarette while on oxygen, according to fire chief Tim Hay.

Bernadine Crittenden was alone in her north Wellington home during the fire that caused roughly $50,000 in damage, according to a news release from the Wellington Fire Department. The fire was reported at 1:25 a.m. and, by the time firefighters arrived, had “burned itself out after causing considerable fire damage to the living room.”

Crittenden was found dead.

Crittenden was known to smoke while using oxygen, based on the investigation and information from the family, Hay said.

This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 3:49 PM.