Fire Department

One person was transported to a local hospital for smoke inhalation following a cooking fire on High Point Road.

The man began heating olive oil to make dinner in his west-side apartment when he stepped out of the kitchen for a minute or two. The smoke alarm began sounding moments later, and he rushed back into the kitchen to discover heavy smoke and fire coming from the cooking pan. The fire grew to a point where it almost reached the kitchen cabinets, but the occupant was able to extinguish the fire with baking soda.

There was a light haze of smoke as firefighters entered the building to make sure the fire was fully extinguished. Heavy smoke was still present inside the apartment where the fire occurred.

Ladder 2 assisted Engine 12 with ventilating the unit as they removed the cast iron skillet from the home and assessed the damages that remained. Paramedics were also called over to evaluate the occupant, who had inhaled a lot of smoke during the incident. He was taken to the hospital.

Property managers responded to the scene. With smoke damage to the walls, burn marks in the flooring, and damage to the stove and ventilation fan above, they estimate damages at roughly $5000.00.