Fire officials said food left unattended on the stove at a Tabor Drive home may have caused more than $20,000 in damage.
Firefighters from Ellis Cross Country, Franklin and Spencer stations responded around 12:35 a.m. Wednesday to a call about smoke in a kitchen at 244 Tabor Drive, off Hawkinstown Road.
Ellis Cross Country Fire Chief Jeff Whitley said there was never any fire in the kitchen, just smoke. Firefighters stayed to make sure a fire did not ignite.
Whitley said homeowner Robert Tabor was asleep and smelled the smoke. His smoke detector did not sound, Whitley said. Tabor was able to get out of the house.
Tabor couldn’t remember what he left cooking, but believes something was left on the stove, Whitley said.
The smoke cleared out in about five minutes, but it could’ve been worse had Tabor not gotten up, Whitley said.
There was a lot of damage, but it was confined to the kitchen, Whitley said.
Tabor told fire officials he had a home he rented across the street that he would stay the night in, Whitley said.