February 10, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Grease Fire Damages Apartment

An unattended pot on a stove was said to be the cause of a fire this morning that caused damage to a Grimmitt Drive apartment. Firefighters responded to the Grimmitt Drive Apartments, 2100 Grimmitt Drive, at 5:33 a.m. and on their arrival found the stove and part of the kitchen of apartment 1112 on fire.

Firefighters quickly doused the blaze and assured that all of the residence’s occupants were safely outside. Resident Harry Rivera, 28, stated that he had turned on the stove to cook breakfast and had fallen back asleep when he was awoke by the home’s fire alarm sounding. Rivera said that he attempted to extinguish the fire, which was just the pot burning at the time, with a fire extinguisher but it failed to work. A neighbor also tried a fire extinguisher from their own apartment but it also failed to work. Latarsha Sheppard, 27, said she heard the alarm sounding and woke three other people in the apartment. She also expressed concern over the extinguishers not working. "None of them worked, that’s not right" says Sheppard.

Fire officials are planning to look into the apartment complexes other fire extinguishers for proper operation. No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported.

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