Pot left on stove causes Victoria house fire

Victoria Fire crews responded to a call of a house fire just before 5 p.m. Sunday evening. When crews arrived at a residence on the corner of Leighton Road and Amphion Street, they encountered the upper level of the house enveloped in thick, dark smoke coming from the vents in the roof.

Firefighters forced their way in through a door and found the source of the blaze in the kitchen. An unattended pot on the stove had caught fire, spreading to the cupboards but contained in the kitchen.

Fire crews currently on scene of house fire at corner of Leighton Rd and Amphion St in #oakbay #yyj pic.twitter.com/dnk6Nr3Z27

— Oak Bay News (@OakBayNews) November 27, 2017

“There was no one home at the time. The husband, wife, and three children were out,” said Victoria Fire Battalion Chief Vince Cullen. “One of the neighbours contacted them to tell them the fire department was here and they were back here pretty quick.”

The cost of the damage is estimated at $100,000, due to significant smoke damage as well as water damage from fire extinguishers. Cullen said most of the destruction was contained to the upper level of the home, sparing the lower level.