(CMR) Fire service is warning the public to exercise good kitchen safety procedures after a house fire destroyed a man's home off Birch Tree Hill, West Bay.
The Cayman Islands Fire Service (CIFS) were called to a well-developed structural property fire in the Birch Tree Hill area of West Bay at 10.36pm on Thursday, 26 March 2020. Crews arrived at the scene eight minutes after receiving the 911 dispatch call and found one elderly gentleman had escaped the property prior to their arrival.
The fire was extinguished as quickly as possible with the wooden structure and adjacent trailered boat completely destroyed by the fire. The elderly gentleman was rehoused with family and a full fire investigation began on Friday, 27 March 2020.
Chief Fire Officer, Paul Walker QFSM said, “I would firstly like to offer my best wishes to the gentleman following this devastating property fire and thank our responding crews and partner agencies involved in resolving this incident.“
He went on to say, “I remind residents to take extra care in their homes during these challenging times where the current restrictions lead to increased home cooking and the associated risks. CIFS continues to provide a 24 hour, 7 days a week emergency fire and rescue response and resident safety remains our number one focus”.
CIFS as part of their prevention activities provides the following kitchen safety advice:
- Do not leave children in the kitchen alone. Keep matches and saucepans handles out of their reach.
- Avoid cooking when under the influence of alcohol.
- Double-check the cooker is off when you’re finished.
- Don’t put anything metal in the microwave.
An eyewitness in the area shared:
“It's sad the house couldn't be saved when the fire service (truck and fire rescue) and RCIPS drove about 1/2 mile past the lane where the fire was. They drove down the completely wrong road for about 5 mins before seeming to realize the fire wasn't there.”
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