A kitchen fire in Cape Coral remained under investigation Wednesday.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing an investigation into the fire that occurred Tuesday morning at a home at 2410 Beach Parkway. Cape fire inspectors determined that the fire originated on a stovetop burner.
Battalion Chief Alan Carter of the Cape fire department said the fire appears to be accidental in nature and a case of unattended cooking. The Cape is waiting on samples from the state to confirm that information.
At 10:13 a.m. Tuesday, Cape fire units responded to a 911 call about a kitchen fire at the Beach Parkway home. Firefighters arrived on scene and put out the flames within 10 minutes, according to a city spokeswoman.
The kitchen sustained damage to the stove and cabinets, and there was some additional smoke damage. However, the fire units prevented any major damage to the home and there were no injures reported, the woman said.
The occupants had evacuated the residence.
The origin of the fire was determined to be the left, rear burner.
The home was yellow tagged, and the American Red Cross responded.
“The only thing that they asked for was some temporary lodging,” Colin Downey, spokesman for the Lee County chapter, said of the victims.
Typically, the American Red Cross provides financial assistance to fire victims to cover any of their immediate needs.
“But, they did not require that,” Downey said.
The home had been occupied by two adults and a teenager.
It was unknown Wednesday if the family had any pets.
This was the second kitchen fire for Cape firefighters Tuesday morning.
At 12:04 a.m., fire units responded to a 911 call about a smoke alarm that had activated at 2704 N.W. 14th Terrace. Firefighters arrived to find that a pot had caught fire. The flames were extinguished with no damage sustained.
The occupants had evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
According to Carter, unattended cooking fires are the most common.
“That’s the number one leading fire call in the U.S.,” he said.
Carter offered the following tips to prevent fires in the kitchen:
— Never leave the cooking area when using the stovetop.
— Always have a lid nearby to cover flames and put out a fire.
— Turn the stove and stovetop off when done cooking.
In the case of a fire, call 911 and exit the building. Carter added that occupants should never re-enter the home until fire units have arrived.