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Speaker 1:

Firefighters say a simple device can keep a small kitchen fire from turning deadly.

Vanessa Welch:

And after several recent fatal fires, Channel Nine’s Steve Barrett reports Orange County firefighters have started giving away 400 of these devices.

Steve Barrett:

Inside this little canister is a chance to survive one of the most dangerous fire situations you can encounter, a kitchen fire.

Lt. Mark Smothers:

Statistics have shown that people that are over 55 years of age, the risks of injury and death increased dramatically.

Steve Barrett:

Just last week, Channel Nine reported an elderly woman’s death after a kitchen fire filled her Orange County home with smoke, but the most common fires occur in manufactured homes. For that reason, Orange County firefighters are distributing hundreds of the devices to elderly residents in area mobile home communities.

Lt. Mark Smothers:

The FireStop was primarily designed for kitchen fires, and primarily for grease fires.

Steve Barrett:

The FireStop canister is simple, it doesn’t even need electricity. Basically you hang it over your stove and when there’s a fire, this little sensor detects it. The bottom drops out, and the fire suppressant puts out the fire.

Lt. Mark Smothers:

It will automatically dispense a product that extinguishes a fire, prior to that fire, obviously moving in behind the wall, and it just puts it out quickly.

Steve Barrett:

This promotional video shows exactly how the product works. The device is even designed to make a loud popping noise as a warning. Orange County firefighters hope by distributing the devices, they’ll jumpstart their popularity and save lives in the most common fires situations. In orange County, Steve Barrett, Channel Nine Eyewitness News.

Vanessa Welch:

The FireStop device is not available in stores, but can be purchased online for less than $30. We have a link with more information in the web link section.