LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
The 633d Civil Engineer Squadron responded to a call Jan. 17 at 10:02 p.m. at the Bay View Towers. A first run engine, rescue vehicle and ladder truck were dispatched and arrived on scene in four minutes and two seconds to the smoke-filled fifth floor of the 10-story building.
After evacuating the building, firefighters Staff Sgt. Luke Rogan, Senior Airmen Kyle Rollins and Carlos Ruffin broke down a door to reach the smoke source, an unattended pot of vegetable soup.
The tenant had left the pot on the electric stove set on high, and then left base to run an errand. In the short time it took the individual to run an errand, the soup boiled until it filled the entire room with smoke, setting off the room's alarm.
"In this case it was fortunate there was no loss of life or major property damage," said Airman Rollins. "It could have been much worse. With more time, the pot could have caught itself or other flammable nearby things on fire."
In 2009, unattended cooking contributed to nearly half of last year's on base fires. Richard Pettyjohn, assistant chief of Fire Prevention, said he cannot emphasize enough the importance staying alert while cooking, and not leaving the immediate area.
"A cooking fire could get out of control in a matter of seconds so it's important to stay in the kitchen while cooking," Pettyjohn said. "We are the fire insurance for the Air Force and want to ensure these types of incidents are prevented."
Damages at Bay View Towers totaled $1,200, including damage to the entry door and lock, smoke removal service and minor cosmetic damage to the stove.
In the United States, unattended cooking is the third leading cause of home fire deaths. The National Fire Prevention Association states that during 2003 through 2006, the U.S. Fire Department responded to an average of 150,200 home structure fires involving cooking equipment per year.