- Department of Fire Services
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Jake Wark, Public Information Officer
KINGSTON — The fire that seriously injured a Kingston woman yesterday started in the kitchen, said Kingston Fire Chief Mark R. Douglass and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey.
“Our thoughts right now are with the victim and her family,” said Chief Douglass. “I also want to remind the community that cooking is the leading cause of fires and fire injuries at home. Always stay near the oven when boiling, broiling, or frying, and use a lid or cookie sheet to smother a grease fire in a pan. Never try to move a burning pan or douse it with water.”
“Many of us cook so often that it’s easy to lose sight of the hazards, but cooking accounted for 70% of all residential fires and nearly one-third of all fire injuries in 2021,” said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. “Hot cooking liquids like oil and grease were also the leading cause of serious burns reported to the Massachusetts Burn Injury Reporting System.”
At 2:37 yesterday afternoon, the Kingston Fire Department responded to the area of 73 Main St. following a report of a fire with one occupant trapped. On arrival, firefighters learned that the fire had been extinguished but the victim – an older adult with limited mobility – remained inside unable to escape. Firefighters immediately made entry and encountered heavy smoke conditions as they rescued the occupant, who had suffered serious injuries. Boston MedFlight was requested but unable to fly due to weather, so she was transported by a Kingston Fire Department ambulance to a Boston hospital.
Chief Douglass and State Fire Marshal Ostroskey agreed that everyone should have a practiced home escape plan that accounts for their mobility needs. “Everyone in the household should be able to make their way out during an emergency, when every second counts,” they said.
The origin and cause of the fire were investigated by the Kingston Fire Department, Kingston Police Department, and State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office.
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