On Sunday, Nov. 30 at 9:33 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting a fire on a stove in a multi-story, multi-family residential apartment complex in the 300 block of Escuela Avenue. The building's occupants self-evacuated before firefighters arrived.

Fire units were dispatched at 9:33 p.m. and arrived on the scene at 9:38 p.m. Units arrived to find an active fire coming from the kitchen of a second-floor apartment in a multi-story, multi-family residential apartment complex. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames with a water fire extinguisher, preventing the fire from spreading further into the building. The Mountain View Police Department closed Escuela Avenue for 45 minutes while fire units and equipment were on the scene.

Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to measure the heat behind the drywall, ensuring the fire did not spread. The fire was extinguished with no injuries. Two residents in the affected apartment made temporary arrangements to stay at a local hotel due to smoke damage.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental due to placing combustibles atop a hot cooking surface, which ignited and spread to the microwave above the stove. The estimated damage to the contents and structure is $5,500. The building was turned over to the building management before fire crews left the scene.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. By following a few safety tips, you can 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.
• Evacuate 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.