Professor suffers burns after trying to carry burning tree out of home

[matcom]

<snip>

PRINCETON BOROUGH - A Princeton University economics professor suffered third-degree burns to half his body when he tried to carry a burning Christmas tree out of his home early yesterday, borough police said.

David F. Bradford, a nationally recognized expert on taxation who served on President George H.W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisors in the early 1990s, was reported in critical condition in the burn center at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia last night, police said.

Borough police, firefighters and medical personnel raced to Bradford's Pine Street home after receiving a report of a fire there about 12:55 a.m.

The blaze was caused by one of about 10 lit candles that had been placed on a Christmas tree inside the home by either Bradford or his wife, whose name was not available, police said, adding that the tree, a real one, apparently been on display since December.

Bradford apparently was upstairs when his wife called out that the tree was on fire, police said. He ran down and tried to carry the burning tree out of the home; but, in doing so, he was critically burned, police said.

Police officers found Bradford lying on the floor. They gave him oxygen until a Princeton First Aid Squad crew arrived.

Bradford was then rushed by ambulance to the Capital Health System at Fuld hospital in Trenton. From there he was flown by helicopter to the burn center in Philadelphia, police said.

Firefighters from Princeton and Rocky Hill quickly extinguished the blaze, limiting damage to the house, police said.

Bradford is professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass., an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C. and an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law.

http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1107940145310580.xml?times?nmx

[kick-ass-bob]

1. Yeah - I knew some econ profs with about as much common sense...

*sigh*

[Lavender Brown]

2. They still had the Christmas tree up?! And lit with candles?

:wtf:

[Elidor]

3. I'll refrain from commenting

Hopefully, DS1 will be along soon to say it for me…

[murielm99]

4. Why did he have a Christmas tree with candles on it in

early February?

I don't get it.