A Scary Night for This R&B Legend!

R&B legend Alexander O’Neal and his wife Cynthia went through a terrifying ordeal after a fire broke out in their Minnesota apartment — a fire investigators believe started with his oxygen machine.

Cynthia says she woke up to flames coming from the machine’s cord, and another fire ignited on the floor. In the chaos, Alexander tried to stomp it out barefoot, burning his foot. This came just after he had been released from a two-week ICU stay for pneumonia and an enlarged heart.

Cynthia was released from the hospital shortly after, but Alexander is still being treated for smoke inhalation. The fire damaged four apartments so badly they’re now unlivable, and the cause is still under investigation.

For fans who know his classics like “If You Were Here Tonight” and “Fake,” it’s been a scary chapter for the singer — but thankfully, both he and Cynthia survived.