A 24-year-old Las Vegas man, who was severely burned in an apartment fire earlier this month, died of his injuries in the burn unit at University Medical Center on Tuesday.  The cause of that fire was ruled accidental.

Five people were taken to the hospital on Nov. 4 when a fire broke out in an apartment at the Northpointe Apartments, 3333 N. Michael Way at 12:06 a.m.  The man’s girlfriend and their two children, age 3 and 5 years, were in the apartment when the fire broke out.  The woman woke to the man screaming the apartment was on fire and to get the children out.  The woman and two children jumped from a second story balcony, assisted by neighbors.  All three were taken to UMC for smoke inhalation, treated and later released.  A neighbor broke in the front door and entered the apartment with a fire extinguisher and found the kitchen on fire.  He put most of the fire out, but the fire extinguisher emptied before it was completely out.  The man left the apartment and returned with another fire extinguisher and then saw a man lying across the living room sofa unconscious.  He brought the man outside, down the stairs and laid him on the front lawn just as firefighters arrived on scene.  The victim from inside the apartment was taken to UMC with severe burns over 75 percent of his body.  The rescuer was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.  The burned man was admitted to the Burn Care Unit and underwent several treatments before he died on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire originated in the kitchen, on or near the stove.  The woman told fire investigators that they had used the stove earlier in the evening for a party.  The fire has been ruled accidental.  It caused $50,000 damage.

Since the fire and because of the holidays, firefighters from Fire Station 43, the first unit on scene that night, have been assisting the family with gifts, food and belongings.  The family has also been receiving assistance from dispatchers of the 9-1-1 Fire & Medical Communications Center, American Red Cross,  Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Foundation and the Southern Nevada Firefighters Burn Foundation.

This is the seventh fire fatality in the city of Las Vegas this year.

Kitchen fires are the leading cause of fires both in the city of Las Vegas and across United States.  Kitchen fires are also the leading cause of fire related injuries both in the city and across the country.  On Thanksgiving day, three times more kitchen fires occur than on any other day of the year..