A fire damaged an apartment in the 4800 block of East Pima after cooking oil flashed while warming up, starting the cabinets on fire in the kitchen area.
The resident was warming up oil when she went to the bedroom to lie down. She was awakened an unknown amount of time later to an apartment charged with smoke but was able to stagger outside. Multiple calls were made to 9-1-1 from neighbors in the apartment complex stating the entire complex was charged with smoke, though no one could initially tell where the smoke was coming from.
Once neighbors were able to tell what unit the smoke was coming from, they entered the apartment and put out the fire using three fire extinguishers.
Tucson Fire units arrived on scene and pulled down drywall from the ceiling and wall next to the stove to confirm that the fire was completely extinguished. A high powered fan was then set up to blow out any residual smoke. One person was assessed on scene for mild smoke inhalation but didn’t require additional medical treatment.
The apartment management was working with the resident to move her into a vacant unit in the complex.
Cooking is the leading cause of fires and fire injuries in structures. When cooking with oil, never leave it unattended. Also have a multi-purpose extinguisher or lid ready to smother the fire if it does ignite.