For the second time in less than a week, fire crews found a pot smoldering unattended in a White Rock apartment.
A report of smoke came in around 5:30 p.m. April 6, from a resident of a building in the 15100-block of Prospect Avenue. When crews arrived, there was a strong smell of burnt cooking and no one was home, said fire Chief Phil Lemire.
The unit's smoke detector had not activated, despite a moderate amount of smoke, he noted.
Lemire said the incident – the second of its kind in six days – is a reminder to ensure nothing is left on the stove when going out.
"Cooking remains a number one concern and number one cause of fires right now," he said. "In these cases, both of the residents have left."
April 1, firefighters were called to the 1300-block of Winter Street, after a resident left potpourri simmering on the stove. Smoke filled the unit – eventually tripping the detector – and had begun to fill a third-floor hallway when a home-care worker arrived and launched an evacuation.