Canton Fire Chief: Cooking Sparks Fires in Three Homes This Week

Canton firefighters responded to a house fire on the 46000 block of Mornington around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Firefighters reported visible flames, and proceeded to make an aggressive interior attack using two pre-connected hand lines. The fire was contained to the kitchen area, however smoke damage occurred throughout the house.

All family members were able to evacuate the house unharmed, but two cats perished from smoke inhalation, officials said. 

Initial estimates of damage are near $80,000.

According to Fire Chief Josh Meier, the incident started as an accidental cooking fire, and is the third of its kind his department has responded to in residential homes this week. 

The other fires were both on Monday, on the 300 block of Willard and the 600 block of Fox Creek. Meier said neither fire caused as much damage as the one on Wednesday.

Meier said cooking fires tend to become more common around the holidays.

"People around the holidays tend to bake more, cook more, and often times they can be distracted by a guest in the home or just the common distractions with the holidays," he said. "So we try to make people aware that when they have items on the stove, particularly items such as oils and greases, to pay attention to their cooking."

In addition to overseeing all cooking, Meier said residents should ensure stoves and ovens are kept clean, and most importantly, maintain working smoke detectors in your residence.