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Oct. 22--OGDEN -- A smoky fire started by a candle burning too close to combustible materials sent an Ogden woman suffering from smoke inhalation to the hospital Friday, officials say.
A neighbor said she pulled the woman from the smokefilled home. The fire was reported at 1:13 p.m. Friday in the 3000 block of Porter Avenue. When firefighters arrived, they found the occupant outside the building, a small, singlestory home of cinder blocks.
Ogden Deputy Chief Chad Tucker said 10 units, including one mutual aid engine from Roy, responded to the fire with 23 firefighters.
The blaze was quickly knocked down, and the woman who lived in the house was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released.
A neighbor, Yolanda Zamudio, said the injured woman is Maggie Ruedas, a disabled woman who has lived there about four years.
Tucker said the fire did about $30,000 in damage.
He said Fire Marshal Matt Schwenk traced the origin to a candle burning too close to combustible materials.
Zamudio said Ruedas has had financial problems lately. She said the electric service to the house was shut off Thursday and that Ruedas had borrowed candles from neighbors.
Zamudio said she was taking a shower when the fire broke out and her mother, Ruth Gonzales, called to her.
"My mom seen some smoke, and I was in the shower, and she said, 'Hurry up, get out here. Maggie's in there!' " Zamudio said. "So I threw a robe on and ran over and went in and got all my strength and got her out. I couldn't get the dog, but someone helped get the dog."
She said she was met by a wall of heavy black smoke when she went in, but she was able to find her neighbor and pull her out.
