CAMPBELL RIVER, BC – Campbell River’s fire chief is warning residents to be more careful in the kitchen.
According to fire chief Thomas Doherty, the fire department is experiencing an increase in calls for kitchen fires.
On April 30th, crews responded to a kitchen fire call on Croation Rd, with one person being transported to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.
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On May 2nd, crews responded to another kitchen fire call.
On May 7th, at around 2:40 p.m., crews responded to a call along the 800 block of Erickson Rd for a kitchen fire. Fire chief Thomas Doherty said there was significant damage to the stove and kitchen cabinets, as well as smoke damage throughout the house. There were no injuries, but BC Ambulance crews still checked the residents for smoke inhalation.
Later on in the afternoon at around 4:45 p.m., crews responded to a structure fire call along the 900 block of Homewood Rd. There was another kitchen fire. Doherty said the fire was contained inside the oven. The homeowner was also assessed by BC Ambulance for smoke inhalation.
Doherty said the calls for kitchen fires have increased compared to April and May 2018.
“What’s more concerning is in the south end of the city, the calls have tripled from what we’ve seen last year. We did see an increase in kitchen fires last year, and that trend looks to be continuing to increase,” he said.
He added that sometimes, residents were preoccupied with other things while they had items on the stove.
“Just a reminder that if you’re going to be any cooking, you should make sure you stay within the kitchen. Keep your combustibles away from your stove, and don’t have your oven mitts having above (the stove).”
“And before you turn your oven on, just have a quick look in the oven to make sure there’s nothing inside when you turn it on.”
Doherty also noted that due to limited counter space, residents tend to put groceries and other items on the stovetop, which can contribute to fires.
“Don’t place any cardboard boxes or recycle bins or plastic bags or anything that’s easily ignitable onto the stove. When those items are placed on there, they inadvertently can turn on the stove – they can hit the switch and turn it on, and the owner may not know until it’s too late.”
