Woman Burned While Smoking Cigarette with Oxygen Mask

A 78-year-old woman endured first- and second-degree burns to her face Monday morning after she smoked a cigarette while wearing an oxygen mask in her bed at Friendship-Manor in Isla Vista.

According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, smoked filled the woman’s room and her neighbors had to be evacuated for a short time. The oxygen tank did not explode, and there was no real damage, aside from the rug, inside the room, authorities said. The woman was transported to Cottage Hospital for treatment. Her current condition is unknown.

The nonprofit retirement community, which is located on El Colegio Road, has been open since 1973, and provides housing for seniors who are 62 years old and older.