Long time Newark resident Eve Marie Little, received some frightening news at a moment she did not expect. Towards the end of the League of Women Voter Discussion Forum on October 2 at Newark City Hall, Little, who is running for Newark city council, was interrupted by the city manager and informed that her kitchen had caught fire during the political discussion. Shaken up but wanting to finish strong, Little quickly concluded her final thoughts at the Forum and was immediately escorted by the Newark Police Department directly to her home.
This is where she discovered that her 14-year-old soon had accidentally caused a grease fire while heating oil to make fried chicken. Luck should have it that he was trained in fire safety through his Newark Boy Scout Troop 186 and immediately removed his shirt to cover the flame, took the dog outside, utilized the fire extinguisher kept in the kitchen and called 911.
The Alameda County Firefighters and Newark Police Department arrived in less than five minutes, finished the job and removed the completely burnt-out stove from the kitchen. Many of the first responders were quite impressed with her son’s quick actions to prevent larger damage stating that most teenagers would have freaked out and ran out of the house.
“You always hear about things like this happening to other people, but you never think it is going to happen to you,” Little said as she expressed thanks to the first responders for their quick arrival. “I am just so thankful that we have such hardworking men and women in our city who are there to care for the citizens when they need the most help. Honestly, not all heroes wear capes.” She also stated that the extensive cleaning and kitchen restoration is going to be another challenge, but she will just be positive and keep her attitude up.
The mission for the Alameda County Fire Department is to provide the highest level of service to their communities by valuing their members, promoting positive leadership and dedicating themselves to excellence. They are responsible for around 400,000 citizens in several cities covering a 500-mile area. Read more about the Alameda County Fire Department’s values, goals and achievements on their official website.
