Remember to check smoke alarms, extinguish combustible items

Recent service calls have prompted Maricopa fire officials to remind city residents to check their smoke detectors and look over combustible products before putting them back in storage.

In an incident Wednesday evening at a home in the 44000 block of West Cypress Lane, firefighters said smoldering oven mitts used in an outdoor barbecue turned out to be the source of smoke that filled the residence. 

After the mitts were used for cooking, they were placed inside a pantry near the kitchen, said Jon Sheaffer of the Maricopa Fire Department. The mitts likely picked up an ember from the barbecue, which then started the burn. 

When smoke filled the house, the homeowners called the fire department. Firefighters quickly located the mitts, and a large fan was used to clear the smoke. 

Sheaffer said the incident serves as a reminder to check that combustible items used with hot materials are fully extinguished before they are stored. 

“It’s a simple thing,” he said. 

In the past two days, the fire department also has received about four calls for smoke detectors going off without the presence of smoke, Sheaffer said. 

He attributes the false alarms to the recent high winds blowing dust particles into the air. Smoke detectors cannot differentiate between smoke particles and dust particles, he said. 

The fire department is urging residents to check smoke detector batteries at least twice a year, and make sure the devices are working properly. 

Click here to read the department’s public announcement and learn more information on how to care for smoke alarms.