Food left on stove ignites triplex fire that leaves 17 without homes

A fire that broke out in a Visalia triplex on Saturday left 17 people without their homes, said Visalia Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Adney.

The fire began in the kitchen of one of the apartments after food was left on the stove.

Fire crews arrived to 1613 E. Douglas Ave. just before 3 p.m. to find smoke coming from the attic and doors of the triplex. It took 20 minutes to put out the fire, but firefighters remained at the triplex for several hours cleaning up and making sure the fire did not rekindle.

All residents were able to escape the fire safely, Adney said, but all three apartments were deemed uninhabitable.

The Red Cross was called to provide resources to the seven displaced adults and 10 children.

The triplex was valued at $350,000 and the fire caused $154,000 in damage, Adney said.

This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 3:47 PM with the headline "Food left on stove ignites triplex fire that leaves 17 without homes."