(SitNews) Wasilla, Alaska - Thursday evening May 5, 2011 another Alaskan lost his life in a devastating home fire. A female at the residence reported that she was napping and awoke to smoke in the structure. She reported that the kitchen cabinets were on fire and the male victim was asleep at the kitchen table. She alerted the male and they tried to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The female exited the home with burns to her feet but the male was unable to escape. Firefighters from the Central Mat-Su Fire Department and the Palmer Fire Department extinguished the fire and found the male victim in the kitchen area of the home. The female reported that the male victim was intoxicated at the time of the fire.

All evidence points to the fact that people who abuse alcohol and other drugs are unable to think clearly and are unable to react rationally in an emergency situation. Many times they try to cook food and pass out, leaving their cooking unattended. The cause for this tragic fire is still under investigation, but alcohol abuse was clearly a contributing factor to the victim’s inability to escape.

Cooking and smoking while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can be a deadly mix. Fires are predictable, preventable occurrences. Alaskans have control of their fire safety by:

• Being especially careful if alcohol or other drugs are being used while smoking or
cooking
• Providing a deep-dish ashtray with a solid base, never allowing it to rest on the arm of
upholstered furniture
• Dousing cigarettes or ashtray contents with water before disposing of them in the trash
• Do not leave cooking unattended.
• Keep combustibles away from heat sources.
• Do not overload electrical outlets.

Alaska State Fire Marshal David Tyler adds, “Fire safe behavior can keep a fire from starting. Working smoke alarms, planning and practicing your fire escape plan and adding residential fire suppression sprinklers can ensure your family’s safety from a fire.”

Source of News: 

Alaska Department of Public Safety - State Fire Marshal
www.dps.state.ak.us

SitNews ©2011
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska