This home fire actually started outside the home.  Some pine tree needles had accumulated underneath the deck/porch.  A guest to the home was smoking outside on the deck/porch.  The cigarette, or embers from the cigarette, started the pine needles underneath the decking material on fire.  The fire quickly spread into the kitchen area of the home.  Luckily everyone inside the home was able to escape unharmed.  

This kitchen in Oshkosh experienced what appears to be a kitchen grease fire.  The homeowner reported not even being sure how the fire started.  The homeowner left the home for about 20 minutes and came back to find this disaster.  According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), "During the five-year period of 2012-2016, cooking was the leading cause of reported home fires (48%) and home fire injuries (45%) and the second leading cause of home fire deaths (21%)."  And according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), cooking is also the leading cause of unreported home fires.  While this damage may not look too significant, it really is.  Even a fire this size can cause significant smoke damage through out the home.  

On Saturday, May 7th, 2019, our President and 6 other employees volunteered their time to install smoke detectors as part of the American Red Cross' Sound the Alarm Campaign.  We love being involved in our community.