Grease Ignites Fire That Guts Family’s Apartment

The gifts were wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree, including about $1,000 worth of jewelry purchased the night before. Shellie Cook recalled with a tired, sad laugh the sales clerk’s offer of insurance, which she had declined.

Now the jewelry and other gifts lay in the charred wreckage of Cook’s three-story apartment in the 5200 block of Driftwood Street in Oxnard Shores. Cook, her mother, Joyce Burgess, and her uncle, LaVerne Thompson, could only watch as firefighters did their job, chopping holes in the roof and sifting through blackened wet rubble.

It was unclear if any of the gifts were salvageable, but firefighters said the damage was extensive. The losses were estimated at about $200,000, and the cause was believed to be a grease fire that began shortly before 12:30 p.m. Monday, said Oxnard Fire Battalion Chief Terry McAnally.

In addition, four Oxnard firefighters were injured in the blaze, including Mike O’Leary, who was knocked unconscious when part of the roof caved in on him. He was pulled to safety by other firefighters, who probably saved his life, said McAnally.

Although O’Leary was knocked unconscious for two to three minutes, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Joe Luna said he appeared to be OK. He was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center, where he underwent tests that included a CAT scan. He was released later in the day and will take a few days off to recuperate.

Three other firefighters suffered comparatively minor injuries of facial burns, a twisted ankle and some smoke inhalation. They were treated at the scene and returned to work.

It took about 30 firefighters from four departments about 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control. The fire sent up thick clouds of smoke that could be seen from several miles away, and drew a crowd of onlookers.

“There was so much smoke and it was so black, I thought a plane had come in there,” said Don McCarthy, a retired truck driver who was driving by on his way to a union meeting. McCarthy teamed with Patty Jimenez and other passersby to knock on doors in the three-unit apartment building and help escort other residents, as well as dogs, parakeets and other pets, to safety.

“It was really great. It was teamwork,” said Jimenez, who was driving back to her Oxnard home after getting her nails done. She said the fire looked like an explosion as she drove north on Harbor Boulevard in her truck.

“A big red light caught my eye. I looked over and saw it blow up,” said Jimenez, whose husband, Humberto, is an Oxnard police officer. “All I could think about was making sure the people were OK.”

Cook and her family were not hurt, but they were struggling with the impact of the sudden blaze and trying to figure out their next step. Burgess said they have no relatives in the area, having moved from Gary, Ind., two years ago.

As she talked about the fire, she took off her jacket and draped it around her brother’s shoulders. Neither she nor Thompson, both disabled, were able to grab more than the pajamas or light clothes they were wearing at the time.

Burgess said she was getting ready to fry some chicken when the fire took off.

“I just turned my back for a minute, and the skillet was on fire,” she said, adding that she tried pouring salt--the nearest substance she could grab--on the flames, to no avail. She yelled to Cook and then went to help her brother, whose bed is on the first floor, below the kitchen.

She said the fourth occupant, a young granddaughter, was away staying with relatives.

McAnally noted that salt would have little effect. Grease fires are especially dangerous, because people tend to throw water on them, which only spreads the flaming material around the area, he said.

The best approach is to keep a fire extinguisher handy. If none is available, either use baking powder, or cover the blaze with some metal lid or other container, if possible, he said.

Luna said firefighters from his and the Oxnard department hoped to help out the family.

The American Red Cross offered temporary accommodations for Burgess and her family in an area hotel, along with food and clothing if they needed it, said Ventura County chapter Executive Director Ann Sobel. The agency is also offering assistance to residents of the adjacent smoke-damaged unit.

A third unit in the building was undamaged.