Badly Burned Man May Have Set Himself on Fire

SAN PEDRO — A homeless man remained in critical condition Monday with third-degree burns after apparently falling asleep with a lit cigarette, authorities said.

The man, whose name was withheld, had third-degree burns over 30% of his body, said Adelaida De La Cerda, spokeswoman for Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

“Arson investigators concluded . . . that there was no evidence of any kind of accelerant to cause the fire. It appears at this time that the victim fell asleep with a lighted cigarette which caught fire on his clothing,” Officer Jason Lee said.

Firefighters were called after neighbors heard a commotion, went outside and found the 53-year-old man, Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

“They opened the door to find this man crawling with his lower body ablaze. They immediately got a bucket or pan of water and threw it on him and took him to some nearby sprinklers . . . to cool him off,” Humphrey said.