A sprinkler system helped put out a stove-top fire at about 2 a.m. Thursday at a Kent apartment complex in the 24600 block of Russell Road.

When the pan caught fire, the residents did the correct thing and placed a lid on it to smother it, according to a Kent Fire Department media release. This cuts off the oxygen supply to the fire causing it to self-extinguish. Unfortunately, they removed the lid before the pan had cooled, reintroducing oxygen and reigniting the fire.

The sprinkler system activated when the pan reignited and extinguished the fire but caused water damage to the apartment and the unit below it. No other units were affected and no one was hurt.

Firefighters were dispatched to an automatic fire alarm at the complex. Firefighters shut down the sprinkler system to stop the further spread of damage and used tarps and large buckets to protect the personal property of the occupants.

Five adults and four children live in the two apartments. Red Cross is assisting those families with alternate housing until the damage is repaired. The apartment management was on scene to begin the clean-up and to have the sprinkler system reestablished.

Sprinkler systems save lives. Having a sprinkler system, whether in an apartment, house, or business increases the chances for survival by limiting the spread of fire and giving occupants more time to escape.

The Kent Fire Department reminds everyone to always keep the matching lid handy to the pan you are using when cooking on your stove. In the event of a fire, place the lid on the pan while wearing an oven mitt. Move the pan off the burner, turn the burner off, and call 911. Do not remove the lid before the pan has had a chance to cool.

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