SAINT PAUL -- Kitchen fires can happen in a flash, especially ones involving grease.
"A fire can ignite very quickly," says Jamie Novak, fire investigator with the St. Paul Fire Department. "The kitchen is still the most common place for house fire to begin."
The city's fire department is offering reminders to the public following an apartment fire in Woodbury this week. The fire, which affected close to a dozen units at the Woodland Pointe apartment complex and sent at least three people to the hospital, was the result of someone trying to douse a grease fire using water.
"Many of the kitchen fire calls we receive involve grease," says Novak. "Putting water on the fire will create a much larger situation."
In many cases the the fire is started when someone fails to monitor the stovetop.
"You can't leave oil heating. It can take three to five minutes for something to happen. We hear stories where people jump in the shower or go pick up the mail and forget what's happening inside."
The fire, if manageable, must quickly be supressed. Novak suggests having a pot cover or cookie sheet nearby. He says many homeowners are also storing products for putting out fires like powdered suppressants.
The St. Paul Fire Department is offering "Project Safe Haven," a new fire safety program to the community. The department offers several family-friendly presentations throughout the year and will provide helpful tips about fire prevention in the home and visually demonstrate what happens when kitchen fires get out of control.
For more information and other fire safety tips check out the department's website.
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