For Immediate Release: Monday, October 26, 2009

Contact: Greg Buelow
E-mail: g.buelow@cedar-rapids.org


Man Rescued from Apartment Fire at Oak Hill Manor

Firefighters rescued a physically-challenged resident from a second floor apartment at Oak Hill Manor, 1311 15th Street SE, this afternoon. Fire crews responded to the two-story, multiple unit apartment complex at 1:30 p.m. when a fire was reported in a first floor apartment.

Upon the fire department's arrival, 44-year old Ronald Bruce was still trapped inside his second floor apartment. There was smoke coming from the apartment directly below, so firefighters broke out a window in an adjacent apartment, made their way through a second floor common hallway, and removed Bruce from his apartment to the outside. Bruce was evaluated by emergency medical services personnel; however he did not have any injuries and he was not transported to the hospital.

Fire crews found that the fire originated from first floor apartment #105. Firefighters found fire concentrated in the kitchen area and quickly extinguished the blaze. There was significant fire, heat and smoke damage to the kitchen and smoke damage throughout the apartment. There was also light smoke damage to the first and second floors of the entire dwelling.

An investigation by the Fire Department determined that the fire resulted from unattended cooking oil that overheated in a pan on the stove in the kitchen of apartment #105. The tenant of that apartment, Kim Hartmann, age 50, was heating oil to prepare food and left the apartment for about 20 minutes. Hartmann returned to his apartment when the fire alarm in the building was activated by other residents who reported smoke and could hear smoke alarms activated. Hartmann opened the door to his apartment and encountered heavy smoke. He was able to safely escape the dwelling.

A police officer who arrived on scene prior to the fire department was able to rescue Hartmann's cat, which was just inside the glass sliding door to the apartment.

The American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist Hartmann. About a dozen residents were evacuated, however Hartmann was the only resident displaced. There were no injuries reported.

The Fire Department reminds citizens that unattended cooking fires are the leading cause of residential fires in our community. In fact, over three out of ten residential fires start in the kitchen. The Fire Department recommends that residents stay in the kitchen when preparing food. The preferred method for extinguishing a grease fire is to carefully slide the lid over the pan and shut off the heat to the stovetop, which will smother the fire.

No further information is available at this time.



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