Nelson Fire Rescue say someone’s burning food filled all three floors of the Terrace Apartments with smoke on Thursday afternoon.
They arrived shortly before 4 pm. to find light smoke in the hallways and an evacuation underway, with the assistance of the Nelson Police Department.
“It was suspected due to the amount of smoke and the odour experienced outside that it was likely the result of unattended cooking, but crews weren’t able to confirm that it wasn’t still burning,” Assistant Chief Michael Daloise said in a news release.
As they searched for the source of the smoke, fire crews encountered people who had not yet left the building.
“The fire appears to have originated as a result of burnt food that was discovered, and affected all three floors with the odour,” Daloise said.
However, the occupant wasn’t around to discuss the circumstances. Firefighters plan to follow up with their investigation.
There were no injuries.
Daloise said once you evacuate a building, you should not leave the area in case you are able to provide information to fire crews. “This information could be critical to life safety,” he said.