Hot cooking oil boiling over triggers house fire on Falconer Street...
Hot oil catching fire on a first-floor stove is the apparent cause of a blaze that extensively damaged an apartment house late Monday night on Jamestown's eastside. City Fire Lieutenant Phil Hanlon says crews were called to the scene at 420 Falconer Street shortly before 10 p.m., and, the first responding unit found a lot of fire and smoke when they arrived. Hanlon says Engine-4's crew also reported that all the tenants had safely escaped the house. He says two other trucks responded shortly after Engine-4 to assist at the scene... and, crews had the flames under control in about 10 minutes. However... he says fire damage on the first floor was extensive... and, there was heat damage to the second. There was also a basement apartment. Hanlon says the residents were fortunate to get away after trying to put out the fire themselves. He says a pot of cooking oil boiled over on the stove. In addition to the tenants... there were no firefighter injuries. Hanlon says an off-duty shift was called in to assist at the scene. Firefighters were at the scene until about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday to overhaul the scene... and, investigate the cause.
