Two separate fires recently left damaged kitchens in their wake.
Dana Reed, who lives at 407 NE Eighth St., was cooking dinner Friday evening when her stove and microwave caught fire. The Fulton Fire Department responded to the call at about 5 p.m. Fire Chief Dean Buffington said the department contained the fire to the kitchen and estimates about $15,000 worth of damage was done.
Reed said she had three burners on while she was cooking when she went upstairs for a quick minute. She said her dogs came up the stairs barking, so she quickly went back into the kitchen to see one of her pans on fire. She was able to put the flames out in the pan, but the microwave vent had already sucked up the flames and caught the microwave on fire, too. Flames and smoke damaged her stove, microwave, ceiling and cabinets. Buffington said the fire department spent an hour and half at the residence containing the fire.
A second kitchen blaze was called in at about 3 a.m. Sunday. Buffington said the department spent about an hour containing the fire. The home, located at 209 E. Second St., suffered damage to the stove and vinyl floor. The resident, Alecia Giboney, was taken to University Hospital in Columbia for burn injuries. Buffington said the estimated damage to Giboney's kitchen was about $7,500.
Callaway County Red Cross responded to aid Giboney.
The first fire started because the resident walked away from the stove while cooking. Buffington said it's important not to leave items on the stovetop unattended.
"If you're cooking, you need to be close attending to it," Buffington said.