Monroe Family Displaced Following Kitchen Stovetop Fire

MONROE, CT — A fire that began atop a cooking stove ended up displacing a Monroe family Thursday morning.

The Monroe Volunteer Fire Department received word of a Walnut Street stove fire "growing out of hand" at around 9:40 a.m. A Monroe FD engine crew about to deliver a fire prevention lesson at a local preschool arrived within four minutes, confirmed the active structure fire and stretched an attack hose line. Multiple occupants and dogs made it safely out of the house. Other fire units quickly arrived to assist, and the fire was knocked down within 10 minutes, according to officials.

Crews remained on the scene for overhaul and ventilation for over an hour. While fire damage was limited to the kitchen, the rest of the house suffered smoke and heat damage and is not currently habitable, according to fire officials.

The Red Cross is assisting three adults and one child with temporary housing and guidance, according to a news release from the agency.

On social media, the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department took the opportunity to remind its followers that "…cooking fires are consistently the leading cause of US house fires and can quickly escalate. Attending to stove top cooking, keeping combustibles off of and away from the stovetop, keeping a pan lid nearby, and having working smoke alarms (as was the case today) are steps everyone should take."