Unattended cooking causes early morning house fire: London Fire Department

Unattended cooking is getting the blame following a house fire in east London early Tuesday.

Fire crews responded to a two-storey home on Bonaventure Drive just after midnight. Platoon Chief Kirk Loveland says they encountered heavy smoke when they arrived.

“Crews conducted an offensive interior attack into the home and encountered a kitchen fire, so there were heavy smoke conditions throughout the house,” said Loveland, adding that residents had evacuated before crews arrived.

“They continued to conduct primary and secondary searches just in case there was somebody inside. They encountered no people but they did rescue a couple of birds.”

Investigators have determined the fire was a result of unattended cooking.

“The fire was contained to the kitchen but there were heavy smoke conditions from the fire, not only throughout the home, but into the street.”

Loveland says early damage estimate is pegged at $100,000.