Keelung food cart fire engulfs vehicle, damages nearby shop sign

A fiery incident occurred in Keelung when a food cart specializing in fried egg scallion pancakes erupted in flames. The fire, believed to have started from overheated oil during cooking, quickly escalated, burning through the cart's roof and scorching the sign of an adjacent drugstore.

Fortunately, the Keelung City Fire Department's Zhongshan branch was nearby and responded swiftly. Firefighters managed to control and extinguish the blaze within minutes, averting a more serious disaster. The cart owner suffered minor burns while attempting to fight the fire with bystanders before the fire department arrived, but was treated and is reportedly in stable condition.

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If citizens encounter an oil pan fire, they should immediately turn off the heat source, then completely cover the oil pan with a lid, and use a wet towel to seal the edges of the lid to block air, then let it sit for about 5 minutes before slowly opening.

Eyewitnesses described the intense flames and smoke shooting skyward as the cart was consumed by fire. The owner and helpful citizens initially tried to combat the fire with extinguishers, but the situation worsened. Fire Captain Gao Zheng-huang provided crucial safety advice for similar situations, stressing the importance of immediately turning off the heat source and covering the pan with a lid to cut off oxygen. He warned against premature opening of the lid, which can cause re-ignition, and advised proper distance when using extinguishers to avoid spreading burning oil.

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When using a fire extinguisher, maintain an appropriate distance and do not get too close, otherwise the high-pressure gas from the extinguisher can easily cause the burning hot oil to splash and scatter, which will only cause the fire to get out of control.