Fire fighters dealing with the aftermath of a stove left on for hours. The damage to the stove is barely visible.
Potential fire averted by air-tight Monolithic Dome
A fire alarm had been beeping for several hours in a small, Io-20 rental unit in Italy, Texas. The neighbors called the management company to investigate. The manager called the fire department and met them there. They opened the door. Smoke came pouring out.
The fire department used an infrared camera to locate the hot spot. The tenant had accidentally left on the stove. It was covered with pots, pans, and dishes. All were burned and the unit smelled like burned plastics.
But the intense heat did not start a full-fledged fire. The damage was limited to the items on the stove and some damage to the stove itself. The fire department merely pulled the burned items from the unit.
The Monolithic Dome is an air-tight structure. This Io-20 has a small AC unit with enough ventilation to keep the air fresh inside. However, for a fire like this one, the supply of outside air is insufficient. Essentially the fire was starved of oxygen before it could get out of hand.
The tenant was moved to an empty unit. Workers will thoroughly clean this dome, repair the stove, and it will be ready to be rented again.
It’s interesting to note that this is the second, similar fire at the rental property. Eight years ago a coffee pot caused a fire which also extinguished itself.
The pots, pans, and burned material from the stove.
The area around the stove is clear with no damage from fire.