By Peter A. Sutters Jr.
The fire that claimed the life of Hiroshi Takagaka, 42, broke out in the man's second-floor apartment at 32-68 38th St. after his brother fell asleep while smoking in bed sometime before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, fire officials said. The medical examiner's office said the cause of death was smoke inhalation.The burning cigarette ignited the mattress where Koji Takagaaka, 37, had dozed off and his brother apparently tried to extinguish it by dragging the mattress into the bathroom where he planned to use the shower to douse the flames, the FDNY said. Hiroshi then became trapped under the burning mattress and was found by firefighters dead in the shower once the fire was brought under control, fire officials said. Koji escaped with burns from the fire and a broken ankle after jumping off the balcony of the apartment, the FDNY said. Koji, who speaks only limited English, said he felt “OK” from his hospital room on Saturday, but he did not want to comment further because of his condition.Two firefighters also sustained minor injuries battling the fire, which was contained just under an hour after the first of numerous calls came in reporting the inferno, the FDNY said.The apartment did not have any smoke detectors, but the absence of alarms did not contribute to the death or injuries because both men were aware of the fire shortly after it began, the FDNY said.The Fire Department did find the cigarettes that caused the fire, calling them “illegal” because the tax codes were not from New York. New York state passed a law last year that required cigarettes sold in the state to extinguish themselves if not puffed on for a period of time to prevent sleepy smokers from dropping the lit cigarettes, causing fires and deaths. Reach reporter Peter A. Sutters Jr. by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 173.
