The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

• Latest Stories

  • E-Mail 'Receptionist' To A Friend
  • E-Mail 'Detox Technician' To A Friend
  • E-Mail 'HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR' To A Friend
  • E-Mail 'Quality Assurance Engineer' To A Friend
  • E-Mail 'SERVERS - PT' To A Friend

Fires in Fergus Falls costly in ‘11

A watched pot may never boil, but it also probably won’t burn down your kitchen.

The Fergus Falls Fire Department will be trying to educate the public on a version of that message over the coming year after firefighters put out several cooking fires in 2011.

In all, the department responded to eight kitchen fires in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area, with damage totaling an estimated $254,100. While carelessness may not have been a factor in every incident, Fire Chief Mark Hovland said that unattended stoves and forgetful cooks definitely caused some of the fires.

“They forget that they’re cooking, and the smoke detector goes off and there’s a fire,” said Hovland, adding that many small kitchen fires go unreported. “They say, ‘I was only gone for a minute,’ but it doesn’t take long.”

In future fire prevention education sessions, Hovland said, firefighters will stress the importance of keeping a close eye on cooking materials and how to cook in a fire-safe manner.

The cooking information was part of the department’s 2011 annual report, which reported 265 calls for the department – the most it’s ever seen.

“Two hundred thirty-four was our highest, and that was back in (2003),” said Hovland, adding that the calls are for any number of things, from fires (there were 42 this year, plus mutual aid calls), to carbon monoxide checks (31) to odd cases like a girl who got her finger stuck in a desk at Kennedy School or a child who’d gotten stuck in a swing at a city park.

“We’re an all-hazard department,” said Hovland.

The total estimated dollar amount for fire damages was also higher than it has been recently at just under $1.5 million. The amount was approximately $1.06 million in 2010 and $364,000 in 2009.

It’s hard to come to any conclusions from those numbers, Hovland said, because fire damages vary so much. For example, 2009 saw more total fires, but the dollar amount was much less.

“If you take out a couple calls, then our dollar loss is (much less),” said Hovland.

That was certainly true in 2011. The most costly fire was at the apartment at 1046 Westside Dr., which was hit by lightning July 15. No one was injured in the fire, but the blaze caused an estimated $748,800 in damages and forced several people to find new places to live.

The second-most costly fire was at Leroy’s Motorsports, coming in at $320,000. The building burned to the ground on Oct. 28 after an electrical malfunction.

“If (you’re) having electrical problems, call an electrician; don’t wait,” said Hovland, adding that electrical issues are another frequent source of fires.

While many residents have responded to increased calls for fire safety, Hovland said it’s always disappointing when a fire is caused by something that’s easily preventable.

“Everybody should know (these safety measures), but then we get somebody who leaves a candle burning or who has a grease fire in their kitchen,” he said. “We have to keep pushing the message.”

The fire department takes educational measures throughout the year, and it also has links to fire safety information on the city’s website at www.ci.fergus-falls.mn.us. Hovland also encouraged people to come to the fire station if they have questions about the safety of their own homes.