OPINION: Several years ago a tenant in my Education Hill rental experienced a serious, $6,000 "pop-tart" toaster fire. He was very fortunate to put it out himself but he burned his hand and was shaken. He said, if it wasn't for the smoke detector, the house would have burned down. As it was, smoke damage was severe. (I'll write a sequel some day.) According to the Bellevue Fire Department, most residential fires start in the kitchen and are caused by inattention. Last year in Bellevue, 25% of all structural fires started in the kitchen. I can't remember what my tenant did to put it out. Here's what you can do:
1. Cover the pot or pan with a lid. Don't move the pan or the fire could spread! (10 second video recommended by Redmond Fire Dept ) *2. If you can't find a lid, cover with a wet cloth or towel. Don't splash with water or a fire ball could rise. (dramatised 30 second video emailed from my sister; requires G-Mail)
3. Sprinkle baking soda on the grease fire and don't move the pan. (Redmond Deputy Fire Marshall Jim Underwood) Fire extinguishers work but they can spread the fire, too. (Bellevue Fire Dept.).
4. Close doors of burning microwave and oven grease fires and turn off the electricity. Don't splash with water. (Bellevue Fire Dept.)
* Disclaimer: John Underwood, Redmond's Deputy Fire Marshall, neither endorsed nor denied the effectiveness and safety of using a water-rung towel to snuff out kitchen grease fires. (Personally, I wouldn't hesitate using a wet towel on a toaster fire if I couldn't find baking soda or a fire extinguisher).
Do you know someone who's had a kitchen fire? I hope the city will provide some kitchen fire prevention education on RCTV or their website.
Opinion by Bob Yoder
Photo on City of Bellevue web site.
Republished from an earlier posting.
Sequel - my tenant said the fire trucks arrived late because they couldn't find the house. He heard the siren circling the neighborhood. A few months later I told councilman Cole that our house was located on a Y intersection without any road sign. He cam out and a few weeks later a street sign was installed.
ReplyDeleteThe fire department didn't have heat sensors at the time so they had to axe through the sheetrock to look for hot wood members and wires.