Andora Street structure fire

Jeremy Robshaw reported to Historic City News this afternoon to advise us that the St. Johns County Fire Rescue (SJCFR) responded to a residential structure fire in the 100 block of Andora St. at approximately 12:30 a.m. today.

Upon arrival crews were met by the occupants and informed that the home was unoccupied and the fire was located in the kitchen. Firefighters entered the structure and quickly extinguished the kitchen fire using approximately 100 gallons of water.

Crews completed a search of the structure and began the overhaul process by checking ceilings and wall spaces to ensure no fire remained in the structure. With no fire found, the situation was declared under control, and all crews were available.

SJCFR investigators have determined the fire was accidental in nature, starting from cooking left unattended on the stove. There were no injuries reported during this incident and damages are estimated at $7500.

With colder temperatures in the forecast, here are a few home heating safety tips from SJCFR:

• Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room
• Plug power cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
• Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen
• Allow ashes to cool completely before disposing.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home – when one sounds they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.