Woman on Fire, Good Samaritan Helps

Asheville -- July 15, 2023: Officers from the Asheville Police Department Thursday, arrived shortly after the Asheville Fire Department and emergency medical services personnel at the scene of a woman who was burning along the 100 block of New Leicester Highway.

The victim had recently purchased a tiny gasoline bottle and had walked behind a neighboring building before being engulfed in flames. The gasoline had been purchased by the victim.  A good Samaritan ran to a local store, grabbed an extinguisher, and put out the fire.

After suffering severe burns over 90% of her body, the 44-year-old woman was transferred from Mission Hospital to the Burn Care Center at the Doctor's Hospital in Georgia. Mission Hospital is located in Georgia.

The ignition source is currently being investigated by Detectives and Investigators from the Fire Department; the evidence points to self-immolation as the most likely explanation for what happened.

WNCTimes