A 16-year-old girl was severely burned Tuesday in a cooking fire in Searsport.
The girl was in the bathroom of her Prospect Street home when she heard smoke alarms go off, according to Maj. Aaron Turcotte, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
She discovered a pot of cooking oil burning on the stove. As she tried to move the pot to the sink, the burning oil flared up, burning about 30% of her body, primarily her legs and torso, Turcotte said Wednesday morning.
The burns caused her to drop the pot.
She was taken to Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast before being transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she was undergoing specialized treatment.
Turcotte urged Mainers to never try to move a pot filled with burning oil nor to attempt to douse it with water. Rather, Mainers should cover the pot with a metal lid and turn off the heat if possible. But if it’s not safe to do so, Turcotte said, Mainers should get outside and call 911 for help.