Sarnia Fire Rescue responded to two separate fires over the past 24 hours, with total damages estimated at $50,000 in each incident.
Sunday evening, crews extinguished a kitchen fire on Devine Street, west of Indian Road between Stockwell Street and Westbury Crescent.
Public Education Officer Mike Otis said the cause was determined to be unattended cooking. He added cooking fires remain the number one cause of house fires.
"We always say, 'look while you cook.' Never leave your cooking unattended," Otis said. "Always have a proper fitting lid for the pot or pan you're using, if you're cooking with oil or grease especially... then you can put a lid on it [to smother the fire] and turn off the heat. Never throw water on a grease fire."
Otis said the residents evacuated the home safely and without injury.
Then at around 3 a.m. Monday, firefighters tackled a rowhouse fire in the area of Vidal and George Streets, after a lithium-ion battery caught fire.
Working smoke alarms allowed four occupants to escape unharmed, though firefighters were unable to save a family dog rescued from the home.
"The thing about lithium-ion batteries is they have so much stored energy, so when they go into what's called thermal runaway, it's just an enormous amount of energy," Otis said. "It's instantaneous fire and almost like an explosion. The fire has tons of energy feeding it. They're very hard to extinguish. So we're constantly putting out a lot of safety tips when it comes to lithium-ion battery fires."
Residents are encouraged to test their smoke alarms regularly and use only certified chargers for battery-powered devices.
"Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for charging, storing," Otis said. "Use the proper cords that came with the device. Buy things that have a certified testing agency like CSA or ULC stamp on it. Don't just leave it charging permanently, unplug it once it's fully charged."
Otis stresses if you notice any sounds, swelling, or smoke from a battery, get it out of your home and don't plug it back in.
