City fire officials say Monday’s fire on the 900 block of Main West was the second kitchen fire they responded to in a week.
Fire Chief Jason Whiteley says crews were called just after 830 am, after a neighbour heard a smoke alarm and saw smoke coming from the home.
“When crews arrived, they had a working fire. There was smoke and flame visible,” he says. “The report was the homeowner was not at home but there were pets still in the house. Fire crews immediately went in and did a fire attack. We did a primary search and removed a dog, gave the dog some oxygen.”
Whiteley says the family’s cat was found and brought to safety during a secondary search, with both pets expected to recover.
“The cause of the fire is believed to be caused by the family dog jumping onto the stove to retrieve an item on top of the stove and accidentally turning on a burner, which ignited the household items left on the stovetop,” he says. “A dollar loss has not been determined at this time.”
Whiteley is urging all residents to take extra precautions in the kitchen after the fire.
- Keep stovetops clear of all combustibles (dish towels, boxes, paper, plastic, etc.).
- Use knob covers or remove stove knobs when not in use, especially if you have pets or young children.
- Check that smoke alarms are working on every level of your home and test them monthly.
Whiteley is also asking drivers to avoid fire scenes when crews are doing their work.
“Find a way around,” he says. “We have blocked the road for the safety of fire crews. The fire crews aren’t necessarily paying attention to traffic that shouldn’t be driving around them, they’re more focused on the job at hand and it becomes more dangerous for my people.”
The 900 block of Main West was closed Monday morning while crews were on the scene.
