Firefighters Suppress Stovetop Blaze

A smoke detector activation came into the park communications center from the fire alarm system at the Marine Mammal Center Hospital just after 6 p.m. on March 18th. Park fire department units responded and found moderate smoke issuing from the front door. Marin County units also responded. Firefighters found that the smoke was caused by a pot that had been left on a stove. They checked the building to see if the fire had spread, then began smoke removal efforts. Investigation revealed that a volunteer at the center had been distracted by a problem with her car, parked nearby, and had left a large stockpot with about seven rubber feeding tubes unattended on the stove. Once the water boiled off, the rubber feeding tubes began to melt and eventually caught fire. Slight charring and melted plastic veneer on the backsplash indicated significant heat from the burning pot. Thanks to fast notification via the fire alarm system, the fire did not have a chance to spread beyond the pot and stove top, potentially saving the building and many marine mammals in nearby recovery condos. Once the smoke was cleared from the building, park firefighters assisted center staff in returning the building to normal operations. Law enforcement rangers provided scene security and traffic control during the incident.