South Anchorage Fire Sparks Holiday Danger Reminders

"This is our hot time of year, literally... we get a lot more fires this time of year," says Anchorage firefighter

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By Kirsten Swann

Story Created: Nov 15, 2011 at 3:56 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Nov 15, 2011 at 3:56 PM AKDT

As the holidays approach, local firefighters have a lot on their plates.

“We always get a number of fires from people that like to fry turkeys in their garage, or in their carport,” said Anchorage firefighter Matt Evans. “That's a bad idea."

But it’s not just limited to deep-fryer disasters: they said everything from spilled heating fuel to misplaced generators contributes to an annual upswing in wintertime fires.

"This is our hot time of year, literally,” Evans said. “We get a lot more fires this time of year."

Yesterday, a South Anchorage home nearly became one of those statistics when a neighbor reported smoke billowing out of the home’s carport around 3 p.m Monday. Even the blaze was extinguished within minutes and the flames never had a chance to spread to the house, firefighters said it was a close call.

"It clearly started somewhere between the vehicle and the house and we've got some char patterns and stuff we're investigating right now,” said Evans, one of the first firefighters to arrive at the scene.

While they’re still investigating what sparked the blaze, they said they believe it was caused when a heat lamp overheated.

But with Thanksgiving right around the corner, firefighters have a word of advice for Anchorage residents.

"As far as a safety message, do not fry turkeys in your carport or your garage,” Evans said. “It just doesn't work out."

So no matter how you plan on heating your home or cooking your holiday dinner this winter, remember: Fire spreads, even in the cold.

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