A cigarette lighter and home oxygen tanks created an explosive situation at a Lynchburg mobile home Wednesday morning, according to fire officials.
Lynchburg Fire Marshal Greg Wormser said the oxygen sparked when a woman living at the residence attempted to light a cigarette. That ignited the blaze that eventually caused the oxygen tanks to explode, destroying the house.
A neighbor pulled Lela Bomar, 47, from the burning home before the oxygen exploded, said Bomar’s son, Eric Bomar.
Bomar, 20, lived with his mother in the home at 1009 Terry Court.
Firefighters responded to the home shortly after 7 a.m.
Eric Bomar said he was asleep when the fire started, and awoke to the sound of breaking glass and his mother’s screams.
“When I went in there, the fire had already started on her bed,” he said. “I started taking the oxygen bottles … and tossing them out the door.”
He said he tried to get his mother out of the bed, but was unable to move her. He then called 911 just as a neighbor arrived to help Lela Bomar out.
“Me and him had her across to the neighbor’s lawn,” he said, “and the first three or four (tanks) exploded that were next to her bed.”
Battalion Chief Fred Mills said the fire was under control within about 10 minutes.
Lela Bomar was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where a nursing supervisor said she was in critical but stable condition at 9:15 p.m.
Eric Bomar said for the next few days he will likely stay with his father, Keith Bomar.
He said the family was working on setting up a fund to help with costs, but that was not completed as of Wednesday night.
“When she leaves the hospital she doesn’t even have a shirt to put on her back, and we don’t know where she’s going,” said Lela Bomar’s daughter, Paula Arthurs.
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