Quick actions by an alert neighbour and the Okotoks Fire Department prevented a kitchen fire from spreading at a condominium unit July 13.
Jessica Watts was pulling into her residence when she saw smoke billowing from the next door neighbour's home at 115 Elm Place in Okotoks at approximately 4 p.m.
"I came home and there was smoke coming out of the upstairs bedroom," Watts said.
There was no one home at the residence and there were no injuries.
The neighbours are new and may be in the process of moving in, she said.
Okotoks Fire captain Mike Dykman said the fire is under investigation, but the initial indication is it started from boxes left on the stove.
"The crews went in, there was boxes on the stove — which is a common occurrence — there were flames and they knocked it down," Dykman said.
Dykman said the safety tip for homeowners is don't leave boxes near a stove.
"This is our second one in a couple of months," he said.
The home is part of a 10-unit condominium residency. Dykman said there was no damage to neighbouring homes, but there was heavy smoke damage in the kitchen of the unit where the fire occurred.
EMS, community peace officers, RCMP and Foothills Fire Department chief Jim Smith were at the scene for assistance.
