All kinds of things can cause a fire, but the most common type across the country are caused in kitchens and backyards while people are cooking.
Polk County Fire Rescue were out Wednesday in the latest example of what happens when cooking goes wrong at a residence on Felton-Rockmart Road as an automatic aid response alongside the Haralson County Fire Department.
When crews arrived, they found a grease fire on a stove in a kitchen and were able to knock it out before the house became fully involved in flames with a fire extinguisher and ensure that nothing spread further.
In a press release provided to local media outlets this morning, PCFR added that the homeowner also had a fire extinguisher on hand and took action before firefighters arrived to “reduce the potential damage and slowed (the) fire progression” until engines arrived on scene.
Per the release, smoke alarms also helped alert the homeowners to a problem in their kitchen.
“Polk County Fire Rescue would like to remind everyone to never leave items unattended on the stone while cooking, check your smoke alarms, and have a fire extinguisher present in your kitchen,” the release added.
During the month of October, Fire Department across the nation have been involved in raising awareness around communities toward ensuring everyone is aware and prepared in the event of home fires.
There’s good reason, especially in kitchens around the country to pay attention to this particular statistic: 44% of all house fires start in the kitchen, the leading cause of fires in homes around the country.
The National Fire Protection Association noted that between 2017 and 2021, more than 158,000 homes were involved in cooking fires per year on average during that period. Those fires were cause of 470 deaths, caused another 4,150 injuries and $1.15 billion in damage.
So before the month is over, make sure to check smoke detectors and look at the date on your fire extinguisher. If you don’t have either, a variety of local hardware stores will have them on hand for reasonable prices (or online retailers as well.)
Here’s the original release from PCFR on Wednesday’s fire:
