Man cleaning foot infection set house on fire

Florida firefighters were called to a house where a man accidentally started a fire with rubbing alcohol and a cigarette. According to Battalion Chief Shannon Stone with the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department, the man told deputies he was cleaning an infection on his foot with rubbing alcohol while sitting on his bed at around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

The alcohol spilled on some sheets and when the man’s cigarette he was smoking contacted the spill a fire started. The man then pulled the sheets off the bed and left the room to get something to extinguish the fire.



By the time he got back, however, the fire had already grown stronger and the man exited the house and called 911. “I guess it is a little uncommon,” Stone said. “But that’s what he says. There’s no reason not to believe it.”

There were several people in the home at the time of the incident, but everyone was able to exit safely. Stone did not have any damage estimates, but said there was significant damage to the single-family dwelling. He said no one would be able to live in the house. The fire was ruled accidental.