Two displaced after Sunday night apartment fire in Mountain View

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Two people were displaced after a kitchen fire broke out at a multi-family apartment complex Sunday night, authorities said.

The blaze broke out around 9:30 p.m. on the 300 block of Escuela Avenue, according to a press release from the City of Mountain View. Emergency responders arrived on scene at 9:38 p.m. to find a kitchen fire in a second-floor apartment, authorities said.

By the time firefighters arrived, residents had already self-evacuated from the multi-story, multi-family apartment building, authorities added.

Firefighters put out the flames with a water fire extinguisher, authorities said. They also used thermal imaging cameras to verify that the fire did not spread. No one was injured in the blaze.

Two residents who lived in the impacted apartment relocated to a hotel due to smoke damage in the unit, authorities added.

The Mountain View Police Department closed Escuela Avenue for 45 minutes while firefighters responded to the fire.

Fire personnel ruled the fire an accident and determined that the blaze began after combustable materials were placed on top of a hot cooking surface, authorities said. The materials then caught fire and caused flames to spread to the microwave,which was situated above the stovetop. There was an estimated $5,500 damage caused to the apartment.

Fire crews turned the apartment building over to management before leaving the scene.

Authorities also said that, according to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking fires are the top cause of house fires and injuries. They advised that people who are cooking remain in the kitchen while doing so, ensure that items that can catch fire are placed away from the stovetop, smother any flames by placing a lid over pans and turning off the burner and call 911 and evacuate when facing any doubts about extinguishing flames.