Unattended cooking ignites fire at Columbus apartment

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) – An apartment building in Columbus was damaged on Thursday night after a fire broke out.

Columbus firefighters say the fire started from unattended cooking and 11 people had to be evacuated at the Willowood/Applegate Apartments around 5:30 p.m.

When police arrived they found smoke and flames coming from one of the apartments. Firefighters were able to put out the fire quickly. The tenant inside the apartment told firefighters that she was cooking before she left the apartment and thought she had turned the stove off. When she returned she attempted to put out the flames, but the smoke and heat was too much and she exited the apartment. She asked a neighbor to call 911.

EMS treated the tenant for smoke inhalation at the scene.

Damages were estimated at $15,000. A majority of the damage was smoke and fire to the apartment kitchen. No working smoke detectors were in the apartment.

No one else was injured in the fire.