A Litchfield resident is being treated for second degree burns and soot on their face after a Thursday afternoon house fire. The Litchfield Fire Department was called to the scene in the 400 block of North Madison just after 4:45 pm. The lone occupant was able to escape with the burns suffered. The first arriving firefighters reported a 2-story house with smoke showing and requested additional resources. The victim refused transport and traveled by personal vehicle to the hospital. Fire attack crews swarmed to the point of origin, the kitchen. They were able to extinguish the fire and isolate it to the kitchen. No additional flames or victims were found and mutual aid requests were cancelled, although Hillsboro Ambulance still came to the scene to cover Litchfield with the fire dept continued its work. The kitchen was overhauled to ensure the fire was out.The origin and cause of the fire was investigated and was determined to be an unattended grease fire on the stove. 

The Litchfield Fire Department would like to remind you that grease fires are dangerous because the fuel source is a liquid that can easily splash and spread to cabinets or other flammable areas of the kitchen. Nearly 10% of residential cooking fires spread beyond the cooking vessel and can cause significant damage and injuries. Leaving the stove unattended while cooking is a leading cause of home cooking fires. Grease fires happen when oil, grease, or fat on a stovetop, oven, or deep- fat fryer gets hot enough to ignite. These fires burn very hot and can spread if not handled properly. 

The instructions for how to put out a grease fire must be followed in this exact order: 

1. Turn off the stove. 

2. Cover the pot, pan, or fryer with a lid. 

3. Douse the fire with baking soda, salt, or a fire extinguisher—never water.