GROVETON — A Groveton woman was injured after an explosion occurred in her apartment early Tuesday morning.
According to Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace, at approximately 4 a.m. Tuesday, deputies, Groveton Volunteer Fire Department, and Allegiance EMS were dispatched to the Senior Apartments in Groveton.
Reports indicate that the not-yet-identified woman, who was on oxygen, attempted to light a cigarette, which caused an explosion. The victim was transported to the Groveton ISD football field, where she was flown by air ambulance to a hospital for treatment.
Wallace said that smoking while using oxygen is extremely dangerous, and that over the years the department has responded to several incidents involving people smoking while on oxygen, and unfortunately, those situations almost always ended badly.
He said that if you have older parents, grandparents, or loved ones who are on oxygen, please do not allow them to light a cigarette or have any open flame near oxygen hoses or tanks. This simple precaution can save lives.
•Trinity firefighters worked numerous events over the weekend.
Sunday morning at approximately 8:30 a.m. Trinity Fire Dept was called to a grass fire on Israel Otis Street.
Trinity Fire Chief Keith Johnson said a large burn pile was on fire that spread to a fiberglass boat. Firefighters took about 45 minutes to extinguish the fire.
On Friday, firefighters were called to a grass fire in the Lakewood subdivision on Enchantment Drive. A small fire was quickly extinguished with a truck and eight firefighters.
Shortly after that call, firefighters were paged out to assist 356 Fire Department for a missing 2-year-old in Hawg Haven. The child was located shortly after arrival.
While returning to town, firefighters were dispatched to a fully involved structure fire, and responded with four trucks and 18 firefighters to stop the fire from spreading to nearby structures.
Johnson said the owner of the home had passed away, but a relative had lived there. The cause of the fire is unknown, but he said it was possible an unattended fire got out of control.
The house was a total loss.
•On Sunday, the Apple Springs Volunteer Fire Department battled a brush fire that broke out on FM 2501 near Nigton.
Also on Sunday, ASVFD and Pennington Volunteer Fire Department extinguished a brush fire on County Line Cemetery Road.
