Careless Cooking Causes Apartment Fire
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Incident Details
Fire crews responded to a report of a kitchen fire on Vera Court. Engine 10 arrived on location of a two-story wood frame 8-unit residential apartment complex, with residents evacuated and standing outside. Light smoke was found from porch door that was open to the fire apartment. Engine 10’s crew gained keys for front door from an occupant standing outside.
The crew entered the apartment to find smoke alarms sounding, the door to apartment in the open position, with light smoke and dry chemical extinguisher condition on entry. There was burnt food on the stove, but the fire was out upon entry into apartment. The crew conducted a search of the apartment, which was clear of occupants, and verified that rest of complex was also evacuated. Engine 10 noted that no pull station was activated in common hallways. The crew took the burnt food in a pot and chicken wings in the oven and removed both outside of the apartment. Ladder 8 assigned ventilation, while all other units were returned by Command. Engine 10 pulled the electric oven away from wall and unplugged it. A thermal imaging camera (TIC) was used to verify that there was no fire extension. They turned off the exhaust fan above stove and secured all doors and windows to apartment.
Engine 10’s crew then made contact with occupant of the apartment, who stated he was cooking French fries in a pot on top of the stove and thought that he turned the stove off prior to leaving apartment. The crew then spoke with another occupant of the apartment, who stated she was in her bedroom with the door closed, heard the smoke alarms sounding, opened her door to find smoke in the apartment and a fire on top of the stove. She attempted to put out the fire with salt from the kitchen, then retrieved a dry chemical fire extinguisher from the common hallway in the stairwell, discharged the extinguisher twice onto the fire, putting it out, then left the building.
Engine 10’s crew notified the on-duty fire investigator, while the Communications Center contacted the building manager. The family was displaced for the evening, but the property manager removed the damaged appliance and is working to clean the extinguisher residue, and it is anticipated the family will be back in their apartment within 24 hours.
http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/causes/cooking/safety-messages-about-cooking