A Monroe fire official says a 76-year-old man has died of burns suffered when his clothes caught fire after he backed his wheelchair into an open flame propane heater during last week’s cold snap. Family members put out the flames and called for help last Friday. The King County medical examiner’s office says the man suffered burns to 40 percent of his body.

He died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Monroe Fire Department spokeswoman Richelle Risdon says it’s not uncommon to use alternative heat sources during cold winter months but notes that heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths. She says it’s important to keep any flammable material at least three feet away from a heat source. If clothing does catch fire, stop, drop and roll or smother the flames with a towel or blanket.

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