Nursing Home Patient Smoking in Bed Causes Fire

The man, 54, who is a patient at the JB Johnson Nursing Center in the 900-block of First Street, NW, suffered burns on his arms, chest and back, according to D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Alan Etter.

Etter says it's unclear if the man was sleeping when the automatic smoke alarms went of at 2:45 a.m., but he suffered second and third degree burns to half his body. The man's injuries are not life-threatening.

He is expected to undergo a series of surgeries to repair his skin.

Firefighters found the fire when they arrived on the scene. Because of smoke on the third and fourth floors of the building, some 30 to 40 patients had to be sheltered in place.

"We had the potential of many patients," Etter says.

Nineteen were evaluated on the scene but no one was else was transported to the hospital, Etter says.

According to the U.S. Nursing Home Registry, which compiles nursing home data from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, JB Johnson Nursing Center has had repeated violations, including making sure that the nursing home area is free of dangers that cause accidents.

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