*In 10 Minutes*
What can happen in just 10 minutes? You put some steaks or pork chops on the stove to cook and then get distracted. You leave the stove for a few minutes to go do something. You return a few minutes later to find chaos. The pictures to follow are the results of pork chops being left on the stove and a person’s inattention. The person had vacated the residence and was not there at the time of the fire.
Witnesses saw him leave with some people and then 10 minutes later all heck broke loose. The fire was burning long enough for the smoke to fill the apartment, leak around the door, drift about 10’ down the hallway and set off at smoke alarm which tripped the central fire alarm system for the building.
The blue stuff is the fermica that was on the walls around the stove.
Here are the oak cabinets above and around the stove. Fortunately oak is a hard wood and it took awhile for it to start burning. Luckily the fire didn’t make it that far up the range hood vent pipe.
The kitchen light now hangs ½ way to the floor.
A barometer located about 10’ from the stove also melted.
I got looking around the next day and the smoke alarm in the apartment was also melted. It was located on the opposite side of the wall from the stove. There was A LOT of heat in there. Everything is smoke damaged and the apartment has to be gutted and refinished.
5 more minutes and the fire would have made it up through the ceiling and in to the attic.
Don’t ever leave your stove, even for just a "few minutes". Here’s how quickly it can happen Kitchen Fire, even with something on the stove that shouldn’t burn.
Part of Survivalism and preparedness is prevention. It’d really suck to find your retreat or home burned to the ground because of inattention.
Jaden
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