Vancouver Fire Department extinguished what it is calling a preventable fire late Thursday morning that killed six pets.
Firefighters responded to the residence, a 700-square foot home located at 3009 N.E. Stapleton Road, at 11:20 a.m., according to a release from the city’s lead Deputy Fire Marshal Chad Lawry.
The fire department deployed two engines and a ladder truck along with a battalion chief, a total of 11 responders.
Firefighters reportedly prevented the blaze from spreading beyond the kitchen and attic.
“This preventable fire originated at an unattended stovetop in a pan of oil. The flames spread to the kitchen cabinetry and into the attic. The person who was cooking had left the house for 15 minutes to deliver a lunch,” Lawry said in the release.
Four cats and two dogs died from smoke inhalation, Lawry said.