A New Ipswich man had minor burns and symptoms of smoke inhalation Tuesday from a stovetop grease fire that he managed to extinguish with rice from the previous night’s dinner.
The New Ipswich Fire department responded to 436 Ashby Road at 3:37 p.m. on Tuesday, for a report of a stovetop fire.
When they arrived however, the homeowner had already extinguished the blaze, though it caused damage to his stovetop, the stove fume hood and the kitchen cabinets, Fire Chief Meredith Lund said Wednesday.
The man was home with his two daughters, and cooking when the grease in his dish ignited. The man was knowledgeable enough to know not to try to extinguish the fire with water – which will only spread a grease fire and make it worse – and instead smothered it with rice cooked the previous night,Lund said.
“He acted very smartly in that he knew he wasn’t supposed to put water on it, so he grabbed the first thing he could find to smother it, which was rice,” Lund said.
Lund said the man and one of his daughters, who had stayed in the house long enough to extract the family’s two dogs, were treated on the scene by the ambulance crew for smoke inhalation, and the man had minor burns on his arm, but neither appeared to be seriously injured.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.