Three displaced by $40,000 Midtown house fire
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Three adults were displaced Saturday evening after a fire tore through the kitchen of their Midtown home causing about $40,000 in damage, authorities said.
The blaze, which started shortly after 5 p.m. at the home in the 4800 block of East Seneca Street, was caused by unattended hot oil on the stovetop in the kitchen, a Tucson Fire spokesman in a news release.
A fire engine returning to the station was already in the area when the dispatch went out, Captain Chris Jurvig said in the release. They arrived two minutes later and sent information to incoming firefighters that heavy black smoke was coming out an open front door.
Firefighters pulled hose lines into the house to extinguish the fire and search for victims, Jurvig said. While crews inside contained the fire to the kitchen area, a ladder truck crew cut a hole in the roof with a chainsaw to allow smoke and hot gasses to escape the building.
"Cooking is the leading cause of fires and fire injuries in structures." Jurvig said. "Furthermore, oil and grease are highly flammable and can splatter or spill during cooking. When cooking with oil, never leave it unattended. Also have a multipurpose extinguisher or lid ready to smother the fire if it does ignite."
A total of twenty-four firefighters from nine units responded and had the blaze under control within 10 minutes. There were no injuries to firefighters or residents.
Firefighters found that the two residents home at the time of the fire had evacuated to the backyard, Jurvig said.
All three residents of the home will be staying with family and did not require assistance from the Red Cross, Jurvig said.
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