By Jeff Mays
DNAInfo Reporter/Producer
HARLEM — A West Harlem man was taken to the hospital with serious burns Thursday after he set himself on fire while trying to light a cigarette.
Firefighters rescued the man from his apartment at the Martin Luther King Towers, at 41 W. 112th Street, after they were called to the scene at 1:42 p.m., officials said.
The man, whose name and age was unavailable, said his clothes ignited as he was lighting a cigarette, the FDNY said.
He was transported to Harlem Hospital with serious burns, but his injuries were not life threatening, firefighters said. No one else was injured.
Neighbors said the man was quiet but friendly.
"I only knew him in passing but he was always friendly," said a woman sitting outside of the building.
Fire officials were investigating the incident.
