On Tuesday, April 9 at 10:56 a.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting a fire in an oven in a multi-family residence operating a daycare in the 1900 block of W. El Camino Real. The occupants of the residence self-evacuated before firefighters arrived.

Fire units were dispatched at 10:57 a.m. and arrived on the scene at 11:01 a.m. Units arrived to find smoke coming from the first floor of a three-story multi-family residence. Firefighters used a fire extinguisher to extinguish flames coming from the bottom of an oven.

Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to measure heat behind the drywall in the kitchen to ensure complete extinguishment of the flames. The Mountain View Police Department closed Latham Street for one hour while fire units and equipment were on the scene.

The fire was extinguished with no injuries. The occupants of the residence were allowed to return to the daycare. The fire cause was determined to be accidental due to storing flammable material in the broiler of the oven. The estimated damage to the contents and structure is $2,000.

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