Apparently, one of the woman's sons was outside when he saw smoke and flames, and ran upstairs to alert his mother, Barnett said.
The chief said the woman threw water on the grease-based fire on the stove, which made the fire spread. She told News Center 7 one of her sons threw water on the fire.
Once they both were out of the eight-unit complex, the woman ran back inside to retrieve personal items, the chief said. Because of the quick moving flames, she told firefighters she had to jump from a window of the apartment. A resident told News Center 7 the woman had been heating grease to cook pancakes for her children. She ran back inside to grab photo albums, the resident said. Several men helped to break the woman's fall.
Today's fire and another one in West Carrollton in the last week, both of which were traced to food left unattended on the stove, prompted Barnett to issue several suggestions to the public.
"Please be in close proximity to the stove," he said. "Use the proper chemical. Please don't use water to put out a grease fire."
And third, the chief said, "once you're out of the building, stay out. Let us do our job."
He estimated the damage to the unit, its contents and the building at $70,000. All the residents in the eight-unit complex have been temporarily displaced because of the fire Barnett said he determined to be accidental.
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