BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - FIRE officials are calling on restaurant owners to get their acts together and clean their premises as more fires are suspected to be grease-related.
That call came as firemen suspect that last evening’s (Jan. 12) fire at a Chinese restaurant on Cayon Street was caused by grease within the confines of the kitchen, most specifically the fryers used to cook.
“Please make sure that they set up a proper schedule of clean of equipment. These appliances should be cleaned periodically,” noted Fire Chief Evrette O’Garro.
He lamented that grease should not be allowed to buildup in and around appliances as they would eventually become combustible.
“At some point, you will get what we call a grease explosion,” added O’Garro.
Though he could conclude at this point, since their investigations are ongoing, the Fire Chief explained that it is a finding that is becoming alarming.
“...investigations revealed that the fire appeared to have been started as a result of a grease explosion. This happens when restaurant operators, who operate deep fryers, allow too much grease to buildup on and around their appliances. We are not confirming this as yet, but it looks like that is the cause,” he noted.
According to O,Garro, a number of appliances were damaged as a result of the blaze, but no injuries were reported since the business establishment was in operation when the fire began.
Against that backdrop, he urged business owners to adopt those safety procedures to ensure that there is now cause for concern arising.
