Between July 17 and July 19, kitchen fires in apartment buildings across six states displaced dozens of residents, sent several people to the hospital and condemned an entire building. Here’s what happened.
New Haven, Connecticut. Firefighters were called to 40 Donna Drive just before 2 p.m. on Friday, July 17, for a reported kitchen fire in a first-floor unit at the Ridgeview Condominiums. Crews arrived to find active fire in three units and residents hanging out of windows. Seven people were rescued by ladder. One resident was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and one firefighter suffered minor burns when a ceiling collapsed on him. Three stacked units in the center of the building took the majority of the damage and the roof caved in over that section. All 33 units were ordered vacated.
Mesa, Arizona. The Mesa Fire and Medical Department responded to Dobson and Broadway roads around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, for smoke and flames coming from a second-floor apartment. Firefighters found a fire in the kitchen that had spread to the surrounding cabinets. A child was taken to the hospital for evaluation as a precaution and an adult suffered a minor hand cut while evacuating.
Hackettstown, New Jersey. A kitchen fire in a Center Street apartment building sent smoke through the building and forced evacuations on July 18. According to local reports, a quick response by police and firefighters limited the damage. One resident was displaced and no injuries were reported.
Lincoln, Nebraska. Lincoln Fire and Rescue was called to the Brookside Apartments at Fallbrook just after 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 18. The call was upgraded when a person was reported trapped in the smoke-filled unit. A neighbor broke the sliding door and moved the person into the hallway. Crews extinguished a small kitchen fire and transported one person to a local hospital. The fire was contained to a single unit.
Raleigh, North Carolina. A fire at The Timbers Apartments on Timber Creek Lane was reported around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, July 19. Fire officials said it started in the kitchen of one unit and spread into the attic. Only one unit was damaged by fire, but the attic damage forced crews to cut power to 15 other units. The Red Cross assisted 13 displaced residents.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded to the 900 block of North 3rd Street around 5:08 a.m. on Sunday, July 19. Crews said the fire started in a second-floor kitchen and was visible from the window on arrival. Residents were evacuated. Local reports indicate one person was displaced and a dog was treated and taken to a veterinarian.
Six fires. Three days. Every one of them started in an apartment kitchen.
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