Simple, small device can reduce fire risk for home oxygen users

WORLAND - The recent incident of a Gillette man who reportedly caught himself on fire when he was smoking a cigarette while wearing an oxygen nasal cannula is not uncommon, but the risk can be greatly reduced, according to Washakie County Fire Warden Chris Kocher.

Kocher said the State Fire Marshal's Office and fire chiefs around the state met several years ago and looked at the data in Wyoming.

One of the highest risk for fatality due to fire was from oxygen-smoking related fatalities.

"We sat down as a group and formed 307 Community Risk Reduction (CRR). We began to address some of the issues and reached out to other emergency response agencies."

The discussion centered on the use of thermal fuses to assist in reducing the risk in the home oxygen community.

The thermal fuse is placed between the nasal cannula and the supply tubing that connects the cannula to the oxygen supply.

"If fire is identified anywhere in the chain there is a spring set that is triggered and cuts off the oxygen supply," Kocher explained.

Some of the issues at hand with smoking related fires, a person with only one to two liters of oxygen on, oxygen is saturating things around the person.

Without the thermal fuse there is a risk that fire can track all the way down the tubing to the oxygen supply.

Kocher said the thermal fuses are highly prevalent in the United Kingdom.

BPR Medical, who manufactures Firesafe™ valves, in 2018 studied home oxygen users in the U.S., Japan and England. There are 1.5 million in the United States, 160,000 in Japan and 81,000 in England. Home oxygen fire fatalities are only at .28 in England, five in Japan and 100 in the U.S.

England has just .34 fatalities per 100,000 patients.

According to BPR, there are almost 20 times more home oxygen fire fatalities in the U.S. compared with the same patient population in England.

The study showed that smoking while using oxygen almost inevitably causes a flash fire. The Gillette man received burns to his face and neck according to the Wyoming News Exchange.

"The figures suggest that the best practice adopted in England since 2006 – including the universal use of oxygen firebreaks – has a dramatic impact on patient safety," according to information from BPR Medical.

Kocher said some home oxygen patients who smoke will take the nasal cannula out of their nose and put it on their lap while they smoke but due to the oxygen saturation they are still at risk of starting a fire.

To help address this fire risk, the State Fire Marshal's Office received a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant for $100,000 to purchase firebreaks or thermal fuses for oxygen patients.

The fuses are provided to residents free of charge. Kocher welcomes anyone on home oxygen to contact the fire department at 347-6379 to set up a time to have a firebreak thermal fuse installed. He said they will also provide risk assessment on the home while they are there.

He said each home should have at least two working smoke alarms.

While smoking with oxygen provides the greatest risk for fire, Kocher said there are other risks for fire with home oxygen users, if they have a gas stove and get the oxygen tubes too close to the flames on the stove.

Kocher said the best reduction method is for home oxygen users not to smoke but he realizes that nicotine is an addiction and quitting smoking can be difficult.

He said people can request as many thermal fuses as they need including ones for portable oxygen units and home oxygen units.

"Anybody that's on oxygen, we certainly want to get out and meet with them and get these in their oxygen lines," Kocher said. "This is an opportunity to interact with the community and just another way to hopefully be a positive influence in our community."