Airway fire during formation of tracheostomy

Fire during tracheostomy formation is a rare but serious complication. Reports of such a complication have been published in ear, nose and throat (ENT) journals, and in anaesthetic journals,1–7 but not in general surgical journals. All surgeons who perform tracheostomy should be acquainted with the potential risk of fire during such a procedure.T.J. Wheatley and G.J. Madder