St. Catharines Fire Services is issuing a reminder to the public to be fire-conscious in the kitchen.
The reminder comes after a blaze occurred at a residence on Russell Avenue on Wednesday.
A combustible appliance was temporarily placed on the stove top during cleaning and caught fire when a burner was accidentally turned on.
The occupant of the home had left the room and came back to find smoke.
Fire Chief Jeff McCormick says things can go wrong in an instant, and residents need to practice fire safety in the kitchen.
"With ignition sources such as ovens and burners, residents should always be fire safety conscious when in the kitchen. Even if they aren’t cooking they must avoid placing or storing anything combustible on the stove top or nearby."
The resident was able to exit the single-storey home and call 911.
You're reminded never to leave cooking unattended or place items such as rags or plastic utensils near hot surfaces.
If a pot does catch on fire, occupants should turn off the heat and cover it with a lid to get rid of the flames.
More fire safety tips can be found here.

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