Grand Island firefighters pulled Robert Fitzsimmons from a room at the Relax Inn, 507 W. Second St., at about 9:38 p.m. Sunday, said Grand Island police Capt. Kerry Mehlin.

Fitzsimmons was taken to St. Francis Medical Center before being transferred to St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln. He is being treated in the burn center there, according to Jo Miller, who works in St. Elizabeth's public relations department.

Mehlin said it appears that Fitzsimmons fell asleep in the room and a cigarette that hadn't been extinguished started a small fire on the carpet.

Fitzsimmons was unresponsive when he was removed from the room, Mehlin said.

One room at the Relax Inn was damaged, and the exact cause and origin of the fire is under investigation, said Troy Shubert, the Fire Department's emergency medical services division chief.