Fireball from pan on stove displaces 4 from west Madison apartment

Four people were displaced Monday afternoon after an accidental cooking fire, fire officials said.

The Madison Fire Department said a crew responded at 5:49 p.m. to a report of an activated alarm as residents evacuated the building in the 8300 block of Flagstone Drive.

Occupants from a third-floor unit told firefighters there was a fire in the kitchen that was already extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

The occupant told officials he was heating oil in a covered pot on the stove. He walked out of the kitchen momentarily, and when he returned there were flames coming from under the lid of the pot. According to the report, he removed the lid and a fireball rose to the ceiling, prompting the automatic sprinklers to deploy. Initially the combination of sprinkler water and grease caused the fire to spread, but the sprinkler extinguished the fire.

The fire department said all occupants, including the dogs, were able to safely get out of the apartment. Nobody was injured during the incident. Damage is estimated at $12,000.

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