Man charged with arson after setting his hospital bed on fire

A 47-year-old man who set fire to his hospital bed on Tuesday and burned himself in the process was later arrested on an arson charge, the Las Vegas Fire Department reported Wednesday.

The Las Vegas man was identified through Clark County Detention Center records as Michael Rudy. He was booked into the jail on a charge of third-degree arson. His bail was set at $3,000.

The man set fire to his bed using a cigarette lighter about 6:15 p.m. at Valley Hospital and Medical Center, Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

Hospital staff quickly put out the fire.

The man sustained first- and second-degree burns over 20 percent of his body, Szymanski said.

The fire caused $700 worth of damage to the emergency room.

Rudy was taken to the burn unit at University Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries.