Apartment Room Kitchen Fire: A Close Call For Residents (Photo) - 11/24/23

A fire broke out, in a newly constructed apartment, on the South West side of Bend on November 24th at 17:15.  Bend Fire & Rescue responded to an apartment, kitchen fire, on the 6th floor of a newly constructed building.  A new resident was in the process of moving into the apartment and had placed combustible materials on a glass stove top and accidentally turned a burning on in the process.  Resident left briefly to move more belongings up to the newly acquired room and while returning heard the fire alarm system activate.   Once back to the room, the kitchen stove area was found fully involved in flames.  Resident immediately called 911 and deployed a closely located fire extinguisher, in the hallway, to extinguish the fire.  Resident was able to control the fire from spreading to other areas of the apartment and was quick enough to not have the sprinkler system activate.  Bend Fire crews completely extinguished the fire and performed ventilation and overhaul to kitchen area.  Resident is expected to be displaced until restoration of room can be performed.  Estimated cost of damage is at approximately $5,000.  No injuries were reported at the scene of the fire.

Kitchen fires were the theme of this year's Fire Prevention message and one of the leading causes of home fires. Kitchen stoves of all types are a source of heat that can cause ignition of combustible materials.  It is never recommended to place combustible materials on a stove top, even if it is in the off position.  Unattended cooking or burner operation should never be left unattended, even for a short while.  By having a readily available fire extinguisher and working smoke alarms, lose caused by fire, can be greatly reduced in the event a fire does happen.