Turning wrong dial sparks NW Redmond kitchen fire

A northwest Redmond resident used an extinguisher to put out a kitchen fire late Sunday afternoon that authorities said was caused by him turning the wrong dial on the stove — a burner, rather than the oven — and igniting items on the stove top.

Firefighters were called shortly before 5 p.m. to the reported fire at a home in the 700 block of Northwest 20th Street, Redmond Fire Marshal Traci Cooper said.

The occupant had used a home extinguisher to put out the blaze before firefighters arrived, Cooper said. Crews checked the stove and immediate area for any fire extension, then helped clean up the broken glass and dry chemical from the discharged extinguisher.

The estimated losses totaled $5,000 to the structure and contents.

Cooper said the resident had mistakenly turned on a burner, rather than the oven, and it ignited materials stored on top of the stove.

“Redmond Fire & Rescue would like to remind everyone to keep anything that can catch fire – paper towels, oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels and curtains – away from your stove top,” Cooper said.