Discarded pellets from smoker grill blamed for causing fire at Johnson County home
Ash from a pellet smoker grill is being blamed for setting a shop vacuum on fire, which then spread to an Overland Park home early Friday, a fire department spokesman said.
The family of five inside the home were able to safely escape from the burning house after a child heard a smoke alarm sounding and alerted the others, said Jason Rhodes, a spokesman for the Overland Park Fire Department.
Firefighters responded to the blaze shortly after 6 a.m. at the single-family, two-story home in the 10800 block of West 98th Street, Rhodes said.
By the time they arrived, heavy fire was coming from the back of the home. Fire crews quickly knocked down the flames on the outside of the home and then attacked the fire that had spread inside through the attic. Additional firefighters searched the home to make sure everyone had gotten out of the house.
The fire was brought under control in about 20 minutes. In that time, it had damaged both levels of the home with the upper floor and attic sustaining the most damage, Rhodes said. Investigators listed the fire as an accidental cooking fire.
“Residents report using a pellet smoker on the back deck of the home and cleaning out the grill’s spent fuel with a shop vacuum,” Rhodes said in a news release. “The shop vacuum later caught fire, spreading to the back of the house and up the home’s exterior and to the attic.”
With the holidays approaching, the fire serves as a reminder to properly dispose of spent materials from grills and fireplaces in metal cans with lids and store them 10 feet away from surfaces that could burn. Spent fuel, like pellets, can remain hot for several days, Rhodes said.
The fire also is a reminder to have working smoke alarms. The smoke alarm in Friday’s house fire alerted the family and gave them an early warning needed to escape to safety, he said.
Batteries should be replaced annually. Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and replaced every 10 years. For those who don’t know the age of their smoke alarm, check the back for the date it was manufactured.
For more information on smoke alarms and cooking safety, visit the fire page at www.opkansas.org
