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An unattended cooking fire caused damage to a two-story apartment building in Mountain View yesterday morning, according to the Mountain View Fire Department. There were no reported injuries.
Dispatchers received a call around 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, reporting an oven fire in an apartment building on the 300 block of Oaktree Drive. When fire crews arrived, they discovered that heat from an oven had risen to a high level and activated the sprinkler system in a first-floor apartment, according to the statement.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and deactivated the sprinkler system. Afterwards, they used thermal imaging to ensure that the fire had not spread to other parts of the building. They also removed water from the apartment, the fire department said.
Because of the water damage, the resident from the affected unit was relocated to another apartment in the same building. The building was then turned over to the facility’s maintenance for further repair, the fire department said.
Officials determined that the fire was accidental and the result of unattended cooking. The estimated damage to the contents and structure of the building is $25,000, according to the statement.
Following the recommendations of the National Fire Protection Association, the fire department provided several tips to help prevent cooking fires, which are the top cause of home fires and injuries.
People should stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling, grilling or broiling food. Anything that can catch on fire like oven mitts, wooden utensils, towels and curtains should not be near the stovetop, according to the NFPA.
If food does catch on fire, then the NFPA recommends sliding a lid over the pan to smother the flames and to turn off the burner. Finally, get out and call 911 if there are any doubts about how to put out the fire, it said.
