Man dies of burn injuries

A 77-year-old Coeur d’Alene man who was seriously burned Wednesday while attempting to refill his cigarette lighter died Thursday at a Seattle hospital.

Derril Reach, of 2927 N. Julia St., had received first- and second-degree burns over 60 percent of his body, said Jim Washko, the city’s deputy fire chief.

Firefighters and police detectives still don’t know why the task went awry.

“We’re not really sure other than he made a statement that he filled his lighter too full,” Washko said.

A woman at the residence told firefighters she heard Reach yelling. When she found him, he was on fire. The woman put out the fire by throwing a bucket of water on him.

After Reach was stabilized at Kootenai Medical Center, he was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center for burn treatments in Seattle. A hospital official said he died at 4:20 p.m. Thursday.