On Thursday, March 14 at 2:17 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting a structure fire in a multi-family residence in the 2200 block of California Street. The occupants of the residence self-evacuated before firefighters arrived.

Fire units were dispatched at 2:18 p.m. and arrived on the scene at 2:21 p.m. Units arrived to find the residents in a second-floor apartment of a two-story multi-family residence had used a fire extinguisher to extinguish a fire in the kitchen of said apartment as a result of a cooking error. The Mountain View Police Department closed one lane of eastbound traffic on California Street while fire units and equipment were on the scene.

Firefighters performed an extensive overhaul of the affected apartment by cutting open the walls and ceiling to ensure complete extinguishment of the flames. Traffic was reopened in both directions of California Street.

The fire was extinguished with no injuries. The occupants of the apartment were allowed to return to their home. The fire cause was determined to be accidental due to unattended cooking, which ignited the contents in a pot on the stove and had extension into the walls of the kitchen. The estimated damage to the contents and structure is $10,000.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. By following a few safety tips, you prevent these fires.

• Stay in the kitchen while frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
• Smother flames on the stovetop by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner.
• Get out and call 9-1-1 if you have any doubts about extinguishing a small fire.

See all of the NFPA cooking tips at https://www.nfpa.org/education.

Media Contact
Robert Maitland, Fire Department PIO
650-903-6825 or robert.maitland@mountainview.gov