Provided by Prince William Fire & Rescue
On Thursday, March 16th at 6:26 p.m., fire and rescue units were dispatched to a structure fire in a one story single-family home located in the 11900 block of Bluegrass Court in Nokesville. Upon arrival, fire and rescue crews observed smoke showing from the front of the home. As firefighters made entry, they discovered heavy fire in the kitchen that had extended to the entire first floor and the attic. Firefighters initiated fire attack and extinguished the fire. According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, the home sustained extensive damage estimated at $325,000. A Building Inspector has posted the home unsafe. Red Cross was on scene to assist the family, five adults, one child and their pets, displaced by the fire. The origin and cause of the fire was a cooking fire on a kitchen stove top and has been determined as accidental.
Prince William County Fire & Rescue Chief Kevin McGee urges residents to take the necessary precautions when cooking due to cooking fires being the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. These fires are preventable by simply being more attentive when using cooking materials and equipment.
Look When You Cook:
- Stay in the area of the cooking equipment when you are frying, grilling, broiling, boiling or microwaving food.
- If you must leave the area, turn off the equipment.
- When simmering, baking or roasting, check it frequently and use a timer as a reminder.
- Keep cooking areas clean and clear of any and all combustibles (e.g., potholders, towels, rags, and food packaging).
In addition, Chief McGee would like to remind residents that working smoke alarms save lives (pwcgov.org/SmokeAlarms). You double your chances of surviving a home fire with working smoke alarms compared to homes without working smoke alarms.
