Photo courtesy of Chief Holger Durre
At about 2:30 pm on Tuesday, October 3rd, Prescott Regional Communication Center received a 911 call about a possible structure fire in the 3200 block of Sunflower Drive in Prescott. The initial caller reported a loud boom followed by smoke coming from the garage in what was possibly an unoccupied structure. When the initial unit arrived on scene they found a substantial amount of smoke coming from a garage door. Very soon after the arrival of the first on scene engine, an attack line was pulled for fire control while another crew verified there were no occupants in the house. A knockdown of the initial fire was reported and the second crew found that there were no occupants inside. The fire was confined to the garage area and fire crews remained on scene pulling drywall to find any possible extension of the fire into the attic or surrounding rooms. No fire extension was found and fire investigators remained on scene working to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Even though this was in an unoccupied residential structure, it’s a good reminder to decrease the potential of fires in the home. Appliance cords can be frayed or faulty triggering a fire. Candles are also a very big source of house fires and while they bring ambience and fragrance to your home they also can cause a catastrophe if a lit candle comes near flammable items like bed sheets, curtains or books. Children and matches are a disaster waiting to happen. Teach kids that fire is not a toy and keep an eye on any kids that might be around stoves, candles, fireplaces or other flame producing objects. And lastly, but most importantly, half of all house fires start in the kitchen. Appliances, unattended pots and pans and heated cooking oil that was unattended are all sources of house fires. Always stay aware in the kitchen when you’re frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen, even for a short time period, turn off the stove. And, as always, remember…
Don’t let your dreams go up in smoke… practice fire safety.
