Fire tore through a Lebanon house on Mill Street early Wednesday morning, destroying the home.
A resident was cooking french fries in oil on the stovetop when the expanding oil overflowed onto the burners and ignited. According to Division Chief Jason Bolen of the Lebanon Fire District the 52-year-old man attempted to put out the fire, but quickly realized that it was out of control. He woke his girlfriend who was sleeping in a nearby bedroom and the pair escaped the house with 2 dogs and called 911.
The Lebanon Fire District received the call around 1:23 a.m. and initially responded with an engine, two medic units, a Battalion Chief, and two Division Chiefs. The Incident Commander upgraded to a second alarm due to difficulties accessing a reliable water source caused by the road construction project on Russell Drive.
Units from the Albany Fire Department, Scio Fire District, and Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District responded to the scene as well as to cover Lebanon during the fire.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire with an hour and spent over 3 hours on the scene. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries.
Fire safety officers say you should never fill a cooking vessel more than half-full of oil when frying and always remain in the kitchen whenever cooking. Have a fire extinguisher in your home and know how to use it, and ensure that working smoke detectors are present in each bedroom and on all levels of your home.