Tanning bed ignites small fire at Toscana Park Tiki Tan

by Sarah Rice (srice@wsbt.com)

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Firefighters were called to the Tiki Tan at Toscana Park on Gumwood north of S.R. 23 in Mishawaka after a tanning bed started on fire

Firefighters were called to the Tiki Tan at Toscana Park on Gumwood north of S.R. 23 in Mishawaka after a tanning bed started on fire on May 15, 2008. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: May 15, 2008 at 11:04 AM EDT

Story Updated: May 17, 2008 at 11:43 PM EDT

MISHAWAKA — Firefighters were called to a tanning salon in Mishawaka Thursday morning after a tanning bed started on fire while a woman was using it.

It happened at the Tiki Tan in the Toscana Park shopping center on Gumwood just north of S.R. 23.

The fire started in a high-pressure tanning bed. The woman who was using the bed at the time says she was a little shook up but she can laugh about it now.

“I had my goggles on, of course my eyes were closed and I smelled fire," Desi'ree Himes told WSBT News. "I tried to get the fire extinguisher in there and we were trying to get it out and stuff and by then trying to get dressed on top of that!”

The fire marshal is trying to determine the cause of the fire. The owner told WSBT News it appears the fire may have been caused by a short in the electrical cabinet located inside the bed.

Nothing else was damaged and no one was hurt.

The store and several surrounding businesses were evacuated as a precaution.

Thursday, May 15 at 11:54 PM MM wrote ...

white skin is beautiful,dont tan,stay pale-its natural.

Thursday, May 15 at 6:52 PM Deb wrote ...

Been tanning a long time. I tan there it was the stand up bed. Glad the industry builds bed with many safeguards. Elecrical problems occur in any electrical device, part of life. Time to check my toaster.

Thursday, May 15 at 3:29 PM Anonymous wrote ...

YOU KNOW WHAT BURNS MY BUT? ABOUT FIRE WAIST HIGH. LOLOLOLOL

Thursday, May 15 at 3:26 PM CHRIS wrote ...

WHAT LEVEL BED IS THAT? I WANT TO GO ONE LEVEL BELOW FIRE I AM FAIR SKINNED

Thursday, May 15 at 2:59 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Hopefully this woman will get free tanning for life at Tiki Tan!!

Thursday, May 15 at 2:56 PM Anonymous wrote ...

The original story said she was trying to get it started when the fire happened.

Thursday, May 15 at 2:53 PM krispy kreme wrote ...

i wonder if that comes with the package? jus askin

Thursday, May 15 at 2:49 PM anonymous wrote ...

This scares the daylights out of me, I recently started going tanning and now I think I am going to stick with the skin cancer causing sun rather then going to the tanning salon.

Thursday, May 15 at 2:34 PM betty wrote ...

i would be so scarred if my shorts caught fire in a bed but would be too scarred to go into a taning bed anyway i seen those web sights where they put pictures of your naked all online for people to pay for seeing so theres no way youd see my shorts get off!

Thursday, May 15 at 2:28 PM Avery wrote ...

I hope people take note of this and maybe put a little more thought into day to day fire prevention. Bush fires are very common out west, but not so much here in the midwest where things are more moist and less likely to spontaneously combust. But, as this story shows, danger lurks everywhere. Remember, stop drop and roll! Be safe.

Thursday, May 15 at 2:08 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Yes they are in the city and get city services.

Thursday, May 15 at 1:56 PM Wow wrote ...

After reading the comment it is amazing how people do not actually read the article. The lady was in the bed and wherre does it say the owner knew about the short?

Thursday, May 15 at 12:19 PM J wrote ...

Hey anonymous did you actually read the article she was in it. duh

Thursday, May 15 at 12:06 PM Annonymous wrote ...

If the owner knew there was a short in the electrical cabinet located inside the bed then why in the world did he allow someone to use the bed?????

Thursday, May 15 at 11:57 AM Anonymous wrote ...

Being a person that tans, that is pretty scary. I am glad the lady wasn't in it when it when the fire started.

Thursday, May 15 at 11:52 AM T Gaskill wrote ...

I sure hope for the owner that the bed wasn't smoking when the authorities got there. They might get fined.

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