Cooking oil left out on the stove resulted in a fire in a Winter Haven apartment building, leaving several families without a home.
Four apartments were evacuated, and power company TECO cut electricity to the building.
The blaze was contained to the single apartment that caught fire, but others incurred water and smoke damage.
There were no injuries, but a dog that was rescued from a second-floor balcony was taken to a veterinarian as a precaution.
About three dozen firefighters responded to the scene.
If you like to deep fry with oil or cook with grease to prepare your meals, you are certainly not alone. While these are effective methods that often result in tasty meals, many dangers can arise out of these cooking techniques. Home chefs must take extra precautions when using oil or grease to prepare their meals.
As this article shows, using oil for cooking or frying can be very dangerous. More than 40 percent of range or stove fires begin as a result of cooking oil ignition. Another 25 percent of all home fires get started by fat or grease. When cooking with oil or grease, not all risks can be avoided, but being prepared can greatly reduce the likelihood of injury.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a house fire, burned, or otherwise seriously injured as the result of another person’s negligence, please contact our Florida Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton at 866-608-5529 or contact us online. A free consultation with one of our attorneys can help guide you through the legal process of pursuing a claim against the responsible party in order to recover financial compensation for your losses.