Unattended cooking oil causes fire in north Columbia home

COLUMBIA — An unattended pan of oil caused a fire in a Holly Avenue home Saturday, according to a Columbia Fire Department news release.

Katherine Wright reported the fire at 11:07 a.m. after discovering smoke and flames in her kitchen. Her young granddaughter had cooked french fries on the stove top using a pan of oil, but then forgot to turn off the burner upon completion, according to the release.

Upon arrival, fire crews found a small fire in the kitchen, which they brought under control within five minutes. Additional crews removed the remaining smoke from the home.

Fire damage in the kitchen and minor smoke damage throughout the home caused an estimated $2,500 worth of damage, according to the release. There were no injuries.

There were no working smoke alarms in the home. Firefighters installed a smoke alarm before leaving the scene.