A college student who decided to take a quick shower while cooking dinner is being blamed for a Wednesday evening kitchen fire at a student housing complex in downtown Tucson.
A damage estimate is still being determined in the blaze that occurred on the top floor of The Cadence on East Congress Street and was doused by an automatic sprinkler system.
What began as a small fire quickly spread when the student tried to put it out with water, rather than covering it with a lid or using an extinguisher as recommended by fire safety officials, a news release from Tucson Fire Department said.
The student was injured during the incident and was treated by paramedics at the scene.
TFD spokesman Capt. Andrew Skaggs said the fire "had the potential to be much, much worse," Β and illustrates the perils of leaving a stove unattended.
"Unattended cooking is a gamble and can be very dangerous, even if it is for a short time," he said. "it's not a gamble worth taking."
