A small kitchen fire on Stonegate Drive on Tuesday, August 9, could have been catastrophic.

The fire started in a three unit town home when the home owner left combustible plastic on a burner that was accidentally turned on.

Garth Rabel, Deputy Fire Chief, said that in this instance the fire was small and contained quickly, but in many instances kitchen fires can quickly get out of control.

"We have to be attentive to what the possibilities are, and then mitigate that by not allowing that to happen. Don't stage and store thing close to a hot stove or range and don't hang things on your stove."

After the fire was out, the property sustained heat and smoke damage to the stove top, an overhead microwave and the surfaces of nearby walls and cabinets.

"The estimates came in at approximately $5000 to the structure and contents; it may seem low in the big picture but still it could have been prevented."

Rabel said that he wants people to be aware of the dangers in the kitchen and that kitchen fires remain one of the leading causes of fires in the home.