Bedridden Raleigh woman dies in accidental house fire

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A bedridden woman died in a house fire in Raleigh Sunday morning.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office responded to a fire on the 4809 of Leven Lane in Raleigh around 1 a.m.

Authorities identified the woman as 71-year-old Janice Shafran.

The woman's son said he had checked on her before going out to a shed in the back of the home, according to deputies. He then smelled something burning and noticed smoke coming from the house. The son then ran to a neighbor's home to call 911. He tried to save her, but the smoke was too heavy.

Investigators with the Fire Marshal's office determined the fire started after Shafran, who smokes, accidentally dropped a cigarette onto a tube that was attached to the oxygen tank next to her bed, which erupted into flames.