Published: April 1, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Authorities believe cigarette may have sparked Miami apartment fire that left man injured A man was critically injured and several people were displaced after a fire tore through a Miami apartment on Tuesday, possibly sparked by a cigarette near a gas can, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
MIAMI — A man was critically injured and several people were displaced after a fire tore through a Miami apartment on Tuesday, possibly sparked by a cigarette near a gas can, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The fire broke out around 7 p.m. Tuesday inside a first-floor unit of a two-story building along the 1300 block of Northwest 40th Street.
Authorities said a Miami police officer rushed inside and rescued a 36-year-old man who suffered third-degree burns over 90% of his body.
They said he was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.
Miami Fire Rescue said crews also rescued a dog from the building and took about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
Authorities said three adults were displaced and received assistance from the American Red Cross.
“Our preliminary investigation leads us to believe that the patient had a gas can in his room and may have lit a cigarette, causing a combustion/explosion,” Lt. Pete Sanchez, a Miami Fire Rescue spokesperson, wrote in an email to Local 10 News on Wednesday.
Sanchez urged the public not to store gas cans inside their homes and to avoid using lighters or matches near fumes.
“This incident is an example of what can go wrong,” Sanchez wrote.
He said the investigation remains ongoing.
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Jolena Esperto
Ryan Mackey