An 85-year-old Steger man died Tuesday from severe burns he suffered after he accidentally spilled lighter fluid on his clothing and set himself on fire, police said.
Everard Hall, of the 2300 block of Lahon Road, was pronounced dead at 5:56 p.m. in Loyola University Hospital and Medical Center in Maywood, said a spokeswoman at the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
At about 10:45 a.m. Monday, Hall spilled fluid on his lap as he was refilling a cigarette lighter, police Cmdr. Greg Rambo said.
“He must have thought it was safe enough to use the lighter,” Rambo said Tuesday.
When he did, his clothes ignited, severely burning his torso, leg, stomach and groin area, Rambo said.
Hall called out to his wife, who was in another room, but when she got to her husband, the flames had extinguished themselves, and she saw smoke coming from his lap, Rambo said.
His death has been ruled an accident, Rambo said.