November 21, 2018 – At 7:59 PM fire department units from Arlington County, the City of Alexandria and Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall were dispatched for a reported structure fire in a 2nd floor apartment in a residential high rise. On arrival, crews found a small fire in the kitchen was extinguished by the sprinkler system. Significant water damage was caused by the sprinkler in the fire apartment, and minor damage to two apartments below. One family was displaced due to water damage.
The Fire Marshal determined the cause of the fire was a can of cooking spray that ruptured when it was accidentally heated. There were no firefighter injuries. One civilian suffered a minor injury, was evaluated by medics but refused transport. Resulting damages were estimated at $25,000.
Safety Takeaways:
- Keep a fire extinguisher near the stove that can be quickly accessed to extinguish a cooking fire.
- The extinguisher should be placed where it can be quickly and safely accessed if there’s a fire on the stove, and still allows you to evacuate if need be.
- Keep flammable items and cooking spray cans away from stove top burners so they do not absorb too much heat.
