Fire investigators said a blaze in east Vancouver that resulted in a woman suffering burns was caused by unattended cooking.
The fire started when a resident, who was heating oil to make french fries, went upstairs to talk to other people, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said. The oil reached high heat and ignited the cabinets. The residents thought they had extinguished the blaze with baking soda.
A woman, the mother of the person cooking, picked up the pan and hot oil splashed onto her arm and hand, Scarpelli said.
Someone drove the woman to Southeast 136th Avenue and Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard where someone called 911. Crews with Vancouver Fire Department said the burn victim was taken to an area hospital. Her condition was not available.
Firefighters then went to her residence, a triplex at 903 S.E. 152nd Ave., to make sure the fire was out and saw flames coming from the attic. The crew called for more firefighters about 2:40 p.m.
“They thought the fire was out, however it had spread up in to the attic and the fire was starting to consume the attic at that point,” Scarpelli said.
Unattended cooking is the number one cause of fire in Vancouver, Scarpelli said, and it’s a cause that is completely preventable.
“Cooking is an active process, you need to be present and in the room,” she said. “Just a few minutes can change your life.”
The fire damaged two of the building’s three units, displacing eight adults, six children and two pets. It caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to the structure and contents.