Firefighters Handle Three Calls Since Friday Afternoon

(CITY FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE CLEARING THE SCENE AFTER THE FIRE ON 1ST STREET WAS DEALT WITH MONDAY MORNING)

Effingham firefighters have handled three calls since Friday afternoon.

One call came at 11:21am Monday, a fire in the kitchen at 606 North 1st Street. 

Effingham Assistant Fire Chief Matt Kulesza said the home's occupant sat an air fryer on the center of the kitchen stove and accidentally bumped the control for the left rear burner, turning the burner on. The heat from the burner started to melt the air fryer, resulting in considerable smoke inside the house.

Kulesza said firefighters removed the air fryer and aired out the residence. They were on scene about 25 minutes.

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Firefighters were called at 9:45 Sunday morning to a stove in the kitchen fire at 507 North 3rd Street.

Kulesza said crews arrived at the two-story residence and found heavy smoke coming from the rear and front doors of the structure. Crews found a pan of grease that had caught fire and caught the cabinets above on fire. 

Firefighters had the fire out within three minutes. Crews removed the stove and disconnected the power. They also vented the residence. An adult and two children inside the home escaped unharmed. They are renting the house, and the homeowner said they would be able to stay in the residence. The damage was estimated at $3,500. Firefighters were on scene for about an hour.

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Firefighters were also called out Friday afternoon when a shed was found on fire. The call came at 3:47pm to 605 South 3rd Street. 

Crews arrived to find a 9-by-12-foot metal shed with smoke coming from it. Firefighters extinguished the fire and removed the items stored inside the shed.

An investigation determined that a 10-year-old was playing with a lighter and set leaves, cardboard and a straw broom on fire just west of the shed, and the fire spread to the shed's interior.

No estimate has been reached on the value of the items inside, but the shed was valued at $1,000. Firefighters were on scene for about 55 minutes.

Kulesza said no one was injured in any of the incidents.