Franklin, TN - A single fire sprinkler extinguished an apartment fire this morning at the Wyndchase Apartments on Aspen Grove Drive, preventing injuries and limiting fire damage.

Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King said the resident left hot cooking oil unattended and returned to the kitchen to find a grease fire. She tried to put the fire out by moving the pan of burning grease to the sink and running water over it. The water caused the fire to flash and roll over the ceiling, activating the sprinkler, said King. King said the sprinkler controlled the fire and triggered the building fire alarm system. When firefighters arrived just before 7:30 a.m. the fire was out. The woman and her two children escaped without injury.

King said the fire could have quickly spread to several nearby units if the building had not been equipped with fire sprinklers. He added that damage was limited to just $500. “Fortunately the sprinklers activated before the fire could do any real damage,” said King. The building, built in 1999, was required by code to have sprinklers installed.

King offers these tips on the proper way to fight a grease fire:

1. The simplest way to fight a grease fire is to carefully slide a lid over the pan. Turn off the burner, don't move the pan, and keep the lid on until the pan cools completely. Baking Soda may also be used to suffocate the fire. 
2. NEVER PUT WATER ON A GREASE FIRE. Water causes the grease to splatter and the fire to spread.
3. NEVER attempt to move a grease fire to the sink or outdoors. It will be too hot to carry and you will drop it, causing a major house fire and risk serious injury to yourself. 
4. Make sure you have working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound. If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away. Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re ten years old or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested. 
5. Call 911 immediately if you have a fire, even if you think it is out. “Fire may be burning inside the wall, and you may not even suspect it,” said King. He said the Franklin Fire Department has thermal imaging cameras on every apparatus, which can detect heat behind walls.

Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires in Franklin and the United States. For additional fire and life safety information, contact the Franklin Fire Department at (615) 791-3270 or visit our website at www.franklintn.gov/fire.

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