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Unattended pot a cautionary tale

Working smoke detectors and alert neighbors kept a small kitchen fire from growing into something worse. Just before 9 a.m. Monday, firefighters from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District were called out to a home in the 100 block of Pinnacle Ridge Court in Danville.

Engine 35 was dispatched after a neighbor reported a smell of smoke and a fire alarm going off, said Fire District spokeswoman Kim French. When the fire crew arrived on the scene there was no visible sign of fire, but they could hear the smoke alarm going off. On further investigation, they saw signs of smoke inside the house.

No residents were home at the time, so firefighters were forced to enter the building through an unlocked second-story window. Inside they found a pot that had been left on the stove. The contents had burned and set off the smoke alarm. They removed the pot, ventilated the home, and left after leaving a note for the resident.

French said that although this fire was small it serves to highlight the need for residents to have working smoke alarms in their homes.

"It's a good idea to have smoke detectors on every level of your house, outside all sleeping areas and in bedrooms," she said.

French said it is best to have a routine for changing the batteries in smoke alarms. The department recommends putting in new batteries when changing clocks for daylight-saving time.

She added that every home also should be equipped with fire extinguishers and homeowners should know how to use them.

"What we recommend is the 'PASS' system," she said. "That stands for Pull Aim Squeeze Sweep."

--Geoff Gillette