State task force probes safety of home oxygen use

LYNN – Firefighters responding to a Warren Street house fire in 1989 got an unexpected surprise. Flames licking the interior walls were feeding off the free flow of pure oxygen hissing from a green metal cylinder.Although nobody died in the blaze, it could have been devastating, said Fire Department arson investigator Donald Baron. “The atmosphere was enriched by the oxygen. It can be a dangerous situation,” he said. At least one occupant of the house had ordered the oxygen as part of his overall medical treatment, a common practice for patients suffering from lung diseases.According to state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan, since 1997 home oxygen has been involved in 24 fire deaths in Massachusetts, caused more than 50 serious injuries, seven firefighter injuries, and 69 fire-related incidents.”Tragic blazes such as the Quincy fire on December 26, 2009, the Whitman fire last May, and the South Boston fire of 2002 ? where a smoker using home oxygen ignited a fire resulting in the death of an 8-year-old girl ? highlight the risks associated with home oxygen use,” says Coan.Coan on Friday joined Dr. Colleen Ryan of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the state Task Force on Home Oxygen Safety to unveil a public awareness campaign on the fire danger of home oxygen use.”As the baby boomer generation ages, more and more patients are treated in their homes with portable medical oxygen,” said Ryan, a staff surgeon at the Sumner Redstone Burn Center at MGH and an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. “It’s crucial that patients, their families, physicians and other caregivers are aware of and understand fire risks associated with home oxygen use.”The campaign will include television and radio public service announcements, a printed brochure, and educational guidelines for firefighters, injury-prevention professionals and first responders. The public service announcements will run through June.Coan noted that in 2009 there were five severe fire incidents that involved home oxygen. One of those was sparked by a candle and the other four by smoking tobacco.”Physicians who care for patients with chronic lung disease look forward to using these new materials to help patients and their family members understand the fire risks of home oxygen use,” said Dr. Paul F. Currier, director of quality in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at MGH. “There are more resources for patients trying to quit smoking today than ever before. I would encourage any smoker to ask their doctor about what help is available.”The fire marshal emphasized that while smoking is the leading cause of fires involving home oxygen, it is not the only one. “It’s important to keep 10 feet away from any flame or heat source such as electric razors, gas stoves, heaters, hair dryers and candles. Don’t wear oxygen near heat sources or when using these appliances,” he said.. “Home oxygen increases oxygen levels in the air, making fires burn faster and hotter. Furniture, clothes, bedding and hair absorb oxygen and can catch fire easily. This is a key point that most people don’t understand and is why home oxygen increases fire risk.”Ryan, the surgeon, said people must be encouraged to think about how flammable products such as hair spray and petroleum-based lip balms and lotions can catch fire in the presence of increased oxygen. “A cigarette, a candle or other heat source can ignite them quickly, which poses a significant risk for these patients,” she said.Patients using home oxygen need to know that even though the tank valve may be closed, the danger remains, said Coan, adding that there is no safe way to smoke if you use home oxygen.Those who haven’t quit smoking should at very least shut off the tank, wait 10 minutes and go outdoors to smoke. Doing so will reduce the amount of oxygen absorbed into clothing and hair.Home oxygen also poses a risk to firefighters because their protective gear will catch fire at a lower temperature when there is more oxyg