Cooking fire destroys Ridgeway home. | Fairfield County Fire Service
RIDGEWAY – A cooking fire that broke out in the kitchen of a mobile home a little after 3 p.m. on March 2 destroyed the home, located on Reese Lane in Ridgeway.
The home was being rented by a couple and their four-month-old daughter.
The mother told the fire service that she was cooking in the kitchen when her baby started crying in another part of the home, according to the incident report.
The mother said she went to check on the baby and when she came back into the kitchen, “the whole place was in flames,” according to the report. She then grabbed her baby and ran from the house.
Three other stations were called to the home, which was fully engulfed.
“Cooking related incidents are the leading cause of house fires nationwide,” Fairfield County Fire Service Director Jason Pope said. “We just want to caution folks to stay in the kitchen while you’re frying, grilling, boiling or broiling food. Use a timer to remind you if you are simmering, baking or roasting food. And keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains – away from your stovetop,” Pope said. Another suggestion, he said, is to keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires.
“And if a fire starts, just get out,” he said, “close the door behind you to help contain the fire, and call 911 or the local emergency number after you leave. If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and that you have a clear way out.”
“For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed,” Pope said.
