Smoking Blamed in Apartment Blaze

A 30-year-old Sherman Oaks man suffered smoke inhalation in an apartment fire Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The cause of the blaze, which began shortly before 1 a.m. in the 13300 block of Valleyheart Drive, was attributed to careless smoking, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

When firefighters arrived, they spotted flames coming from a second-story apartment in a garden-style complex. It took 25 firefighters about 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which was confined to the one unit. Authorities estimated the damage to the apartment’s structure at $30,000 and $10,000 to its contents.

Firefighters rescued the male resident. He suffered first-degree burns, singed hair and smoke inhalation. He was taken to Sherman Oaks Community Hospital in stable condition, Humphrey said.

Careless smoking is “the No. 1 cause of fatal fires nationwide,” Humphrey said. “I certainly hope that 1998 will see a change in this troubling trend.”