A Cape Coral man has been released from the hospital after burning his stomach on the stovetop in his apartment Tuesday afternoon.
Peter Hayes, 38, had been discharged as of Wednesday, officials reported.
At 1:26 p.m. Tuesday, fire dispatch received a 911 call about a kitchen fire at 808 Miramar St., Apt. 10. Firefighters arrived and found that the fire had been extinguished and confined to the kitchen area.
Hayes was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with burns to his stomach.
Battalion Chief Alan Carter said the fire has been ruled accidental in nature. Hayes’ shirt had caught on fire while he was leaning over the front burner of the stovetop to light a cigarette.
There was no damage to the home due to the incident.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office also responded to the scene.
“We did respond because it was a fire-related injury, and that does fall within our protocol,” Det. Adam Rivero, spokesman for the state, said.
A fire inspector determined that the incident was accidental.
“This does happen across the nation,” Rivero said regarding smoking-related injuries, fires and even fatalities. “It’s more common then you would think.”