Fire Department

A north side resident is displaced following a kitchen fire that ignited late Sunday night.
 
The Karstens Dr. occupant says he was cooking some tortillas on the stove when he walked away for a moment. When he returned to the kitchen, the stove and the ceiling above were on fire. He immediately left the apartment and called 911, pulling the fire alarm on his way out to alert his neighbors of the fire.
 
Firefighters on Engine 10 arrived moments later and were met with thick black smoke rushing out of the apartment as they made entry. They charged the hose line and began attacking the flames.
 
Once the fire was completely knocked down (11:11 p.m.), firefighters broke out a window and began ventilating the unit. After the smoke cleared out, they were able to begin overhauling the kitchen area to ensure no further fire threat remained.
 
It’s not known exactly how the stove and surrounding area caught fire. Damages are estimated at approximately $60,000. There’s fire damage to the kitchen and smoke damage throughout the unit, with some smoke damage throughout the building’s common hallway.
 
The displaced occupant was taken into the care of the American Red Cross. No other building tenants were displaced.