Unattended Food On Stove Causes $3,000 In Damage

Unattended food on a stove causes $3,000.00 in damage. A resident from the 16-unit apartment complex at 408 Parkwood Lane, returned home around 7:00 pm to find their apartment filled with smoke. As he exited the building, he pulled the fire alarm and called 911. Upon entry to the apartment, fire crews found smoke banked down to the floor. A pot of oil and food, left on an electric stove, caused smoke damage, but no fire damage. Crews ventilated the building, to clear the apartment of smoke. Two adults and one small child live in the apartment. The residents are staying with family members. No injuries were reported. ************* ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA) THE MAJOR CAUSES OF FIRE Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home* fires and home fire injuries. Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fire started with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. Facts & figures • Cooking equipment fires are the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries. These fires accounted for 40% of all reported home structure fires and 36% of home civilian injuries. • Cooking equipment was involved in two of every five (41%) reported home fires. • Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in these fires. • Clothing was the item first ignited in less than 1% of these fires, but these incidents accounted 15% of the cooking fire deaths. • Ranges accounted for the largest share (59%) of home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16%. • Three of every five (59%) reported non-fatal home cooking fire injuries occurred when the victims tried to fight the fire themselves. • Frying poses the greatest risk of fire. • Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires

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