Kitchen Fire Damages Rivermont Home

There was some smoke and water damage to adjacent rooms. Captain Turley estimated the dollar loss at roughly $30,000.

The lone resident in the house was a 91-year-old man. He told firefighters that he had just put a pan of oil on the stove to heat up, and left the kitchen. When he returned, the stove was on fire and spreading to the cabinets above. The man tried to put the flames out with a fire extinguisher, but when that failed, he got out of the house and called 911. He was not injured.

The cause of the fire will be ruled accidental, from food -- or in this case oil -- being left unattended on the stove. The man will be staying with relatives until repairs are made to the house. Chattanooga police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.

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