A pot of cooking oil left unattended was the cause of a house fire in Newmarket Monday night, according to Central York Fire Services.
Firefighters responded to the fire at about 10:45 p.m. Jan. 17 on Matthew Boyd Crescent, which is west of Yonge Street and Dawson Manor Boulevard.
When they arrived on the scene, they saw visible smoke and fire in the kitchen, which was spreading toward the townhouse's attic and walls, the incident report stated.
Working with four fire apparatus, 16 firefighting staff and two chief officers, crews were able to quickly control and extinguish the blaze that caused substantial damage.
York Region Paramedics Services, York Regional Police, and the utility company also attended the scene.
Occupants of the house were able to get out safely and no one was injured as a result of the fire.
Central York Fire Services said that cooking is the No. 1 cause of fires in Ontario and leads to one third of fire-related injuries.
It's important to have an emergency plan, working smoke alarms, and multiple escape routes as residential fires burn quickly.
