From The Tribune staff reports
CENTER POINT — Center Point Fire and Rescue crews responded to an apartment fire at The Pointe Apartments, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.
The fire happened around 1″30 p.m. at the complex on Bond Circle Northeast.
Only one unit had fire damage and that damage was contained to the kitchen area, according to Chief Gene Coleman. A vacant apartment next door had some smoke damage.
One family was displaced and Coleman said the Red Cross was contacted to help the family. No injuries were reported.
Coleman said the fire started in the kitchen. He said the timing of the fire lines up with the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week and can serve as a reminder for others.
“The motto is ‘Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen,” Coleman said. “Kitchen fires are the leading cause of fires for us.”
NFPA says unattended cooking is the number one cause of fires in the kitchen. By following a few simple safety tips, you can prevent a fire.
- Never leave the kitchen while cooking
- Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop
- If you do have a cooking fire, get out of the house then call 911
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed
- If you are sleepy or intoxicated, do not use the stove or stovetop
Since 1922, the NFPA has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. More than 250 people were kiled and more than 100,000 were left homeless.
As always, Chief Coleman has more advice for everyone.
“Keep a beep where you sleep and close the door where you snore,” Coleman said. “911 is our number and we make house calls.”