Unattended Cooking Cause Of House Fire In Calaveras County

CCFD photo

Valley Springs, CA – A fire at a home in Calaveras County this afternoon was the result of unattended cooking.

When Calaveras Consolidated Fire District (CCFD) firefighters arrived at the house on Berkesy Lane in the Valley Springs, Rancho Calaveras area, just after 1 p.m., smoke was visible. Once inside the home, crews quickly put out flames coming from the stove. Fire officials report that the cause of the fire was “an unattended pot of oil or grease on the stovetop in the kitchen.”

Fire officials want to remind everyone that prevention is the best safety measure and have provided these tips when cooking with oil or grease:

• Stay in the kitchen when you’re heating oil for pan-frying or deep-fat frying. Use a heavy pot with a lid and clip a thermometer to the side so you know the temperature of the oil.
• Keep an eye on the oil as it’s heating. If you see wisps of smoke or smell something acrid, immediately turn down the heat or remove the pot from the burner. The oil won’t immediately catch fire once it starts smoking, but smoke is a danger sign that it’s on its way to getting there.
• Additionally, homeowners need a fire extinguisher and working smoke detectors.