Investigators say “careless cooking” caused a fire that inflicted $4 million in damage to an apartment building in Regina and left dozens homeless.
The Jan. 9 fire at 3015 Parliament Avenue started in the kitchen of a third-floor suite after cooking oil ignited from the heat of nearby stove that had been left on and unattended.
The flames spread to an attic through a hole in the exhaust hood duct above the stove. The person inside the unit got out safely after the smoke alarm sounded.
Two people who were rescued from a nearby suite were treated at the scene. Two firefighters also sustained minor injuries.
Over the past decade, 468 homes in Regina were damaged or destroyed by fires caused by careless cooking, resulting in one fatality and $3.8 million in damage.
