New Details Released on Fatal Smoking Fire Inside Springfield Hospital

Springfield, Mo — On February 6, firefighters answered an alarm call at 1235 E. Cherokee. On the seventh floor of the hospital, firefighters say they found a burnt nasal tube and a burned blanket lying on the floor. The floor was covered in dry chemical fire extinguisher powder. According to the fire incident report, firefighters found a scorch mark on the back of a chair and a book of matches on the table. It appeared to firefighters on the scene someone was sitting in the chair smoking while on oxygen.

Firefighters interviewed a hospital security officer that responded to the fire alarm. A nurse also entered the room with a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The nurse found Eileen Moorehouse, 64, sitting in the chair with flames around her face, neck and the blanket covering her. According to the report, she told firefighters she was smoking while on oxygen.