Nobody Injured In Downtown Cooking Fire

First responders from Madison’s Fire Station 1 rushed two blocks west for a possible structure fire in one of the apartments on the 500 block of W. Dayton Street.
 
On scene, residents told MFD’s Officer In  Charge that there’d been a grease fire on the second floor. It was initially believed the fire was out.
 
Ladder 1 made entry and found a small fire still active on the stove, and the exhaust system above the stove was still burning. The fire had also extended onto the cabinets above the stove.
 
Firefighters were able to use a wet towel to put out the small fire on the stove. All pots were moved to the sink. The exhaust system was pulled down, and firefighters extinguished the fire still burning inside.
 
Items inside the cabinet above the stove were still hot, so firefighters placed them into a full sink of water. A thermal imaging camera indicated some hot spots remained in the drywall behind the stove, so a small hole was created so firefighters could confirm the fire hadn’t spread into the walls.
 
One resident said she was cooking turkey bacon on the gas stove. When some vegetables were tossed into the mix, “the stove lit up.” As the fire immediately extended to the exhaust system and cabinets, a roommate came into the kitchen and turned off the burner before calling 911.
 
In the process of overhauling the area, firefighters learned the stove was dirty and exhaust filters were full of grease and other cooking byproducts. They pulled the stove away from the wall and turned off the gas as they advised the residents to either clean these items or have the landlord replace them before using them again.
 
The residents were not injured, and everybody was able to stay in the apartment after firefighters ventilated it.