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A 57-year-old woman was critically burned when she decided to smoke a cigarette while on oxygen, the state Fire Marshal’s office said.

Catherine Swidzinski is in critical condition at Maine Medical Center in Portland after the 8 a.m. fire was reported in Auburn.

There was minor fire damage to the apartment. Oxygen is highly flammable, and can cause serious injuries and explosion when exposed to heat or flame.

Matt Byrne has covered crime and public safety for the Press Herald since 2016. It is his second beat since being hired at the Press Herald in late 2012, when he left the Boston Globe's suburban news bureau....

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