One person suffered minor injuries and a home was damaged after a fire broke out in the kitchen Tuesday morning, the second residential fire in one week in Muscatine resulting from a stove fire.
The Muscatine County Joint Communications Center received a call at 8:30 a.m. of a stove fire in the 2800 block of Broadlawn Avenue.
Units from the Muscatine Fire Department found that the fire had spread throughout the kitchen when they arrived on scene but were able to gain control within five minutes.
While on scene, MFD turned off the electric and gas to the residence as they battled the fire, but some of those utilities were restored ahead of the expected frigid temperatures later this week.
An inspector from the City of Muscatine worked along with Muscatine Power & Water staff to determine what, and how much, of the utilities could be restored to prevent more damage to the home due to the expected low temperatures later this week.
One civilian received a minor injury during the fire. There were no injuries to first responders. The Muscatine Police Department assisted at the scene. The Red Cross and 1-800-BoardUp are providing victim assistance.
The National Fire Prevention Association recommends residents should remain alert while cooking (never coo while sleepy or after having consumed alcohol), stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food, and keep anything that can catch fire (oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains) away from the stovetop.
With the expected cold temperatures, residents are also reminded that if they use secondary heating sources (fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater) to keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from the heating equipment, plug portable space heaters into a wall outlet, and never use extension cords or power strips that may overheat and cause a fire.
Residents are reminded that working smoke detectors save lives, and to call 9-1-1 to report the fire while safely exiting the structure. Please let the first responders do their job and do not waste time or risk your safety trying to put out the fire.
