Unattended Cooking Causes Centreville Apartment Fire

A Saturday morning fire at a Centreville apartment injured one person and left nine other people without a home, according to the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department.

Fire and rescue units responded at about 10 a.m. to the blaze at 5852 Post Corners Trail, in a complex behind the Newgate shopping center. They found that a sprinkler system had extinguished the fire before they arrived, but light smoke filled the four-story apartment.

One occupant was transported to the Washington Hospital Burn Center by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries, the fire department said. Damage to the apartment is estimated at $23,000.

Smoke alarms alerted the apartment’s 10 occupants to the fire, which was caused by unattended food left on a kitchen stove, the fire department said. The Red Cross is helping the occupants.

Kitchen Safety Tips

The Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department offers the following guidance to avoid kitchen fires:

• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
• Wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when cooking. Long loose sleeves are more likely to catch on fire or get caught on pot handles.
• Keep things that can catch fire such as dish towels, curtains, or paper, at least 3 feet away from the stove.
• Do not leave cooking food unattended. If you leave the kitchen, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
• Turn pot handles inward, facing the wall to prevent burns caused by overturning or spills.
• Potholders or oven mitts can prevent burns when handling hot dishes.
• Regularly clean your cooking equipment so that there are no cooking materials, food items or grease accumulation.
• Always keep an oven mitt and lid nearby when you are cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan.
• Turn off the burner. Do not remove the lid until it is completely cool.
• If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing.
• Have the oven serviced before you use it again.