Cigarette blamed in mobile-home fire

(Staff report) - A Carson City man remained hospitalized Monday suffering from smoke inhalation after a fire destroyed his mobile home Saturday.

Fire Chief Stacey Giomi said an investigation has determined the 10:30 p.m. fire at Frontier Mobile Village off Winnie Lane was caused by a cigarette that was inadvertently knocked into a chair cushion.

Homeowner Virgil Fields, in his 70s, had gone to bed for the night when he was awakened by his smoke detector.

"He was able to get out alive because his smoke detector woke him up. Had he not had a smoke detector I'm very confident he would have died in that fire," Giomi said.

Though the closest hydrant was about 1,500 feet away, fire crews were able to contain to the fire to Fields' mobile home on C Street. His vehicle also sustained some damage.