Yuma, Arizona - Last night,, shortly before 11:00 pm, a stove fire was reported at a home in the 3400 block of South Don Carlos Road. Yuma Fire Department personnel were also informed that the fire was now out. Firefighters were told that the resident had used a fire extinguisher. Firefighters arrived and confirmed the fire was out and had not extended into surrounding walls.
It was determined that the resident had been heating a pan of oil on the stove. He left the kitchen for a short time and returned to find the stove and cabinets on fire. He had a fire extinguisher available and was able to knock down the fire. Damage was contained to the stove, range hood, cabinets above the stove, and some damage to the ceiling. This was at least the second fire like this in the last few days. There were no injuries reported in this fire.
The most common place for fires to start in the home is in the kitchen. The most common place in the kitchen for fires to start is on the stove top and the most common reason is unattended cooking. Fires grow quickly and can double in size every minute. Fortunately this fire was caught early enough that a dry chemical extinguisher was able to be effective, however safety is always the first consideration. If not in the very early stages, with an extinguisher you know how to use close by, to avoid injury, exit the home and call 9-1-1.