Louise Alvord, of Connecticut, suffered extensive burns after a pan of cooking oil caught fire while she was out of the room.

The Fire

"I always bake chicken because of the cholesterol factor. This time I thought, 'I'm going to fry it just for a change.' I left a pot of cooking oil on the stove. I can't sit still, so I thought, 'that oil isn't going to get hot right now, I can do something else.'

"The smoke alarm went off. There were flames on the pot, and I picked it up. I was trying to go outside. When I realized I was on fire, I stopped everything and went out to roll in the grass.

"I had two foster children in the house at that time — Debbie, aged 40, and Maria, aged 17. Both are developmentally disabled. Debbie responded exactly as had been practiced in fire drills and left the house immediately. Maria was 'too tired' and refused to get out of bed. I was very anxious about her because her bed is over the kitchen and that's where the fire was.

"A neighbor came over, and I assume he got Maria out. Both women were unharmed."

On How The Fire Has Affected Her

"I react differently to fire engines and sirens now.

"I notice I'm still afraid to turn hamburgers over with the grease popping. It hasn't limited my cooking … I don't have general fear, just when there is oil.

"I will never deep fry food again. When I cook, I stay there. I don't have major physical pain, but I have enough discomfort to say I don't want to go through this again. These burns are bad enough that I will never leave when I'm cooking. This is going to be with me for a long time. I can't ever leave cooking food again."

Advice To Others

"Practice fire safety for yourself. I had to practice fire escapes because the state demanded it for the foster children. I was practicing for them. I should have practiced for me.

"Don't ever leave the stove when you are cooking."

What You Can Learn From Louise's Experience Keep an eye on all food being heated. If a fire starts on the stovetop or in the oven, turn off the heat immediately, if it is safe to do so. If a grease fire occurs, remember to put a lid on the pan, or toss baking soda on the flames. If you can't put out the fire quickly and safely, leave the house and call 911. Install smoke alarms in your home, and keep them in working order. Develop an escape plan that addresses the abilities of every member of your household, and practice it often. If you or a family member has a functional limitation, consider sleeping in a ground floor room to make it easier to get out of the house quickly.

<< Return to "It Happened to Me"