Almost every day, rescuers rush to people whose food has caught fire in their homes. Sometimes the situation can be quickly brought under control and no one is injured, but in some cases, what seems to be a small fire can cost a person their life.
In one of the five-story buildings on Stirnu Street in Riga, a situation arose when passersby noticed smoke coming from the windows of an apartment on the top floor. Fortunately, this time there were no injuries, reports the show Degpunktā (TV3).
The window of the fifth-floor apartment is currently left open for ventilation. Neighbors report that the day before, there was heavy smoke in the premises, which was likely noticed by people on the street, prompting them to call the rescue services to check what was happening at the address.
"Naturally, the whole set arrived — ambulance, firefighters, and so on. My son was looking at the computer, I was reading a book. He says: 'Look what’s happening to us! We’re on the fifth floor!' We go out — and there’s nothing. The rescuers are doing their job. They knock on my neighbor's door, she got scared," recalls a neighbor.
The woman explains that the neighbor, in whose apartment everything was happening, works night shifts, and this was likely one of the reasons why he fell asleep while cooking.
"This person is over 50. His girlfriend recently left him; they had been together for many years. Well, alcohol is an old problem. (DP: So, probably, that’s why he fell asleep…) Is there really much needed?!"
Fires of this type are not uncommon. Most often, in cases where food burns on the stove, rescuers find that there is no one in the apartment or that the residents have fallen asleep.
"The State Fire and Rescue Service reminds that when cooking, one should not leave the home, even for a short time, or go to rest, as burning food can produce heavy smoke that threatens the health of those nearby, as well as high temperatures that can ignite objects around the stove! Last year, 425 fires were extinguished, likely caused by an unattended stove," clarified GPSS representative Endija Dalbinja.
In this case, the apartment owner was also offered medical assistance, but he declined it.
