LAKEPORT — A propane barbecue shot flames 10- to 15-feet into the air and started a fire on the deck of an apartment at 975 N. Forbes St. in unit No. 7 just after 6 p.m. on Saturday, according to Lakeport Fire Protection District Captain Bob Ray.
The initial call reported a barbecue was “blown up at a residence” causing a fire on the second floor deck of an apartment in the back of the complex. There are approximately a dozen units in the complex.
A mother and her teen daughter started the barbecue and stepped inside for a minute or two when the fire began.
“They did a very good thing in locating the barbecue as far away from the residence as they could (prior to the fire),” Ray said.
The flames did not reach the overhang above the deck, as the barbecue was positioned beyond the 4-foot roof on the 10-foot deck closest to the metal railing, not adjacent to the exterior wall of the residence.
An area approximately 6-feet by 5-feet burned, but not all the way through the flooring. Lightweight roofing material from an open-ended storage area below sustained damage. There was no actual damage to the residence.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
Firefighters gained access by ladder and spent approximately 40 minutes at the scene. One engine from the Lakeport Fire Protection District and seven personnel responded with an auto aid from Kelseyville Fire Department and three personnel.
A downstairs neighbor was extinguishing the fire with garden hose from below when firefighters arrived.
Ray said that propane barbecue fires are not too common, but to avoid the occurrence he recommends keeping barbecues away from combustibles, insuring regulators are tight, checking the fittings to make sure there are not any loose, checking hoses for cracks or signs of wear and placing the barbecue far from the residence. He said if a failure does occur, proper placement buys some time.
Mandy Feder can be reached at 263-5636 ext. 32 or mandyfeder@yahoo.com.
