Stove-top fire fries kitchen at firehouse in Boise

BOISE – Firefighters returning from a medical call had to turn their hose on the firehouse kitchen after an overheated pan full of potato nuggets set some cabinets ablaze.

The Christmas Eve fire at Station 8 was quickly extinguished, and there were no injuries. Investigators were trying to determine why a computerized safety system that automatically turns off appliances when firefighters are called away apparently had not been activated.

Deputy Fire Chief Dave Hanneman told the Idaho Statesman that the crew on duty might have forgotten to use it.

“We are still trying to determine exactly what happened,” Hanneman said.

The three firefighters had started cooking the tater tots when they were summoned on a medical call. When they returned, they saw a glow from the kitchen, where the overheated pan had melted and set some wooden cabinets on fire, Hanneman said.

The crew used a hose from one of its trucks to put out the flames. The cabinets were burned, and there was some smoke damage, but a cost estimate was not immediately available.

The department’s computer system requires firefighters to log in when they arrive at a station. When dispatchers put out a call for service, they can ring a bell at the station, tripping a mechanical system that cuts power to cooking appliances.

The firefighters on duty at Station 8 could not recall whether they logged in properly, Hanneman said.