Hospital patient smokes in bed, starts fire, dies

BALTIMORE, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- A hospital patient in Baltimore died Friday after starting a fire while smoking in bed, fire officials said.

"The Fire Department was called to the hospital this evening regarding a fire in a patient's room. We can confirm that one patient has died. The fire was put out quickly and is currently being investigated," University of Maryland Medical Center spokeswoman Sharon Boston said in a statement.

Fire officials told WBAL-TV, Baltimore, the patient caught fire at about 10:30 p.m.