A pot left unwatched on a stove is being blamed for causing a kitchen fire in Grande Prairie. Firefighters were called to Ridgeview Manor on 103rd Street around 11 a.m. Friday morning.
By the time the fire department arrived there was smoke coming from the third floor. The fire alarm had gone off and everyone in the apartment building had evacuated safely.
The person living in the unit where the fire started had reportedly left the kitchen for a few minutes, leaving a pot with cooking oil on the stove with the burner on. When he came back, the kitchen was on fire.
He put the flames out using a fire extinguisher but an estimated $60,000 in fire and smoke damage was done. The man suffered minor smoke inhalation and was assessed by EMS at the scene.
Platoon Tony Lutzmann reminds Grande Prairie residents that they should never leave cooking unattended, especially over the Easter long weekend.
“Always remove the pot from the stove and turn off the burner if you have to leave the kitchen. Never move a burning pot. Always have the lid handy to cover and smother any fire in a pot.”
It’s also noted that the man who used the fire extinguisher had been trained how to do so at work and prevented the blaze from causing even more damage. Working smoke alarms also helped the building’s other residents get out early.