GLOVERSVILLE - City firefighters quickly quelled a grease fire on the city's southwest end Thursday, containing it to the kitchen area of the downstairs apartment.
Firefighters were dispatched to 12 Grove St. at 5:57 p.m. for a report of a structure fire. They were met with smoke billowing from the two-family rental home.
Chief Beth Whitman-Putnam said the occupants of the building, two adult males and one adult female living in the downstairs apartment, and one adult and four children living upstairs, evacuated prior to firefighters' arrival.
One of the downstairs male tenants was injured when he attempted to extinguish the fire himself. She declined to disclose the nature of the injuries but said they appeared minor. He was treated at the scene by the Ambulance Service of Fulton County.
According to reports, one of the residents turned on one of the burners on the stove to heat oil to deep-fry french fries.
"It was left unattended for a time frame," she said. "Then one of the other downstairs occupants found the fire and yelled, 'fire!' The other occupant attempted to put the fire out."
Firefighters entered the house to find heavy smoke. They contained the fire, which damaged the stove, fan, range hood and cabinetry in the area. She said the kitchen sustained moderate heat damage and there was moderate smoke damage throughout the apartment. It remains habitable, but the stove is unusable in its current condition.
Smoke entered the upstairs and attic area as well. Firefighters ventilated the entire structure. They were back in service at 6:46 p.m.
"I think people need to integrate fire safety behaviors into their daily activities," Whitman-Putnam said. "Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home-fire injuries. The leading cause of cooking fires is unattended cooking."
She said cooks should stay near the stove while they're preparing meals and ensure flammable materials are far from burners and other heated cooking appliances.
"If you have to leave the kitchen, turn the stove off," she said.
Never pour water on a grease fire, she said, and never try to carry a flaming pan outside or to the sink.
"The best thing to do is shut the stove off and put a lid on it. If they can't do that, get out of the house and call the Fire Department," she said.
Amanda Whistle covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com