Unattended food on stove sparks kitchen fire that caused $750K in damage to Bay Terrace home

Forgotten food left cooking on a stove early Wednesady sparked a fire that caused $750,000 in damage to a two-story home in the Bay Terrace neighborhood, fire officials said.

San Diego Fire-Rescue crews were alerted around 10:20 a.m. and arrived at the home on Windward Street near Dale Grove Lane about four minutes later, fire officials said.

Firefighters found moderate smoke coming from the first floor of the home and later determined a fire that started in the kitchen extended into the home’s attic space, said spokesman Jose Ysea.

No one was injured, he said.

“The homeowner left, forgot they had something on the stove and came back and the house was fully engulfed in smoke,” Battalion Chief Mike Liversedge told OnScene TV.

Liversedge credited smoke detectors in the house for alerting the residents to the fire and keeping them from entering the burning home.

“When the occupants returned to the home, not only could they see there was smoke but the smoke detectors were going off, alerting them that there was a potentially hazardous situation, which also helped them not go back inside,” Liversedge said.

He said there was extensive smoke damage to the home and fire damage to the first floor.

OnScene TV reported that two residents and their three dogs were displaced.

It took crews about 20 minutes to knock down the flames. Firefighters remained at the scene for awhile to extinguish hot spots and prevent any flare ups, Ysea said.