A cooking fire resulted in the destruction of a kitchen in an Isla Vista apartment on Wednesday, October 8. According to a report on the incident from County Fire Department spokesperson Captain Eli Iskow, the resident of an apartment at 6538 Sabado Tarde Rd. accidentally left oil cooking in a pan on his stove and then left. The oil caught fire, which enveloped most of the kitchen. Neighbors reported seeing smoke and called 911. Within 20 minutes of firefighters’ arrival, Iskow reported, the fire was completely controlled. No one was hurt in the incident, but Iskow noted there was heat and smoke damage to the rest of the apartment and “all personal belongings.” Total damages were estimated at $20,000.
Iskow concluded his report with a note that cooking fires are the leading cause of structure fires and also one of the leading causes of fire deaths.