Woman Hospitalized for Smoke Inhalation After Home Fire Rescue

According to a KSAT News report, a Northwest Side house fire led to at least one woman being hospitalized for smoke inhalation Wednesday morning.

Fire officials reported the fire around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning at a home on the 100 block of Maiden Lane at Brandywine near Culebra Road on San Antonio’s Northwest Side. Two people were able to escape on their own, but firefighters had to rescue two other residents. A woman was transported to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, while two others were treated at the scene. The cause of the fire is unclear — the fire chief warned people to check their smoke detectors, ensure their trees don’t dry out, and not overload electrical outlets.

Did You Know?

Inhalation injuries occur in roughly one-third of the 450,000 burn injuries every year in the United States.

Inhalation Injury in San Antonio

When you think of a burn injury, you probably think of an external burn — after all, contact burns are the most common type of burn a person will experience. However, a person can be severely burned internally if they inhale toxic chemicals, smoke, or even incredibly hot air in a fire.

Whether in an auto accident, home fire, at work, or at school, you could suffer a serious inhalation burn from chemical spills or fire. What’s worse, these burns can show up 24 to 48 hours after the fire or chemical spill, causing serious complications for the victims.

What Is an Inhalation Injury?

Inhalation injury occurs when a person suffers damage to their respiratory system or lung tissue. This can happen from inhalation of smoke, extremely hot air, or other toxic chemicals like chlorine. Inhalation injury remains a leading cause of death in the United States.

The most vulnerable parties for inhalation injury are the very young (age 11 or younger) and the elderly (age 70 or older). However, anyone can be impacted by a severe inhalation injury, and they often result in long-term respiratory care well after physical burns are healed.

Where Can I Suffer an Inhalation Injury?

Inhalation injuries can happen anywhere. Oftentimes, these injuries occur in:

• Home/Building Fires — Smoke inhalation in a building fire often leads to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be deadly.
• Work — Manufacturing, construction, or any workplace that uses toxic chemicals to clean or work with can expose employees to toxic fumes that can burn their airways.
• School/Daycare — Chemicals used for cleaning that are too highly concentrated can cause your child to be burned at school or daycare.
• Private Businesses — A person can suffer a chemical inhalation injury while shopping if cleaning chemicals are spilled or not properly used.

Can I Sue for an Inhalation Injury in San Antonio?

If another party caused you or your child to be severely burned at school, work, in an auto accident, or in a private business, you may have grounds for a personal injury suit.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” method to determine if you have grounds for a lawsuit — that’s where our team comes in. If you or your child were burned, we can help you find out if you have a case for free at 800-862-1260.

Hire Carabin Shaw Inhalation Injury Attorneys

Inhalation injuries steal lives every year in the United States. If you or your child suffered an inhalation injury in San Antonio, call Carabin Shaw at 800-862-1260 to get your case evaluated for free. We look forward to serving you.

Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not obligate you to work with the firm.

¹KSAT News report