Yuma, Arizona - On Monday, just after 2:00 pm, a house fire was reported in the 700 block of East 24th Place. Yuma Fire Department personnel arrived to find smoke coming from a home in the 800 block of East 24th Place. Firefighters made entry to the home and found the fire had originated in the kitchen and appeared to be out. The kitchen area was checked to confirm the fire was out and had not extended into the walls of the home.
The fire was found to have started in a pan of food heating on the stove and spread into cabinetry above the stove. The occupants had been outside working on a project when they heard smoke alarms going off. A resident and a neighbor used a garden hose and a small fire extinguisher to knock down the fire prior to arrival of firefighters. The stove and surrounding kitchen areas sustained significant fire and smoke damage. The resident was treated at the scene for exposure to smoke and transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center for further evaluation.
The number one place for fires to start in the home is in the kitchen. The number one place for fires to start in the kitchen is the top of the stove, and the number one cause is unattended cooking. Fires grow quickly and as they burn they release toxic smoke and heat that build up quickly. It is important to get out quickly, call 9-1-1 to report the fire, and avoid going back in to that dangerous environment.