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Kitchen fire damages home

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — A late Monday breakfast proved costly for one Albany homeowner after fire wrought more than $60,000 in damages when food cooking on a stove caught nearby cabinets on fire, documents show.

Albany Fire Engines 4, 5 and 6 responded to a home at 1919 Gillespie Ave. just before 11 a.m. Monday and found flames showing from the garage area and heavy smoke rising from the roof and front door area, AFD reports show.

According to the report, the fire was under control by 11:21 after 4,000 gallons of water had been used.

Rachele Walker, listed in the report as the occupant of the home, told fire fighters she was cooking food and walked away from a pot on the stove. When she returned, she said that the food had caught fire and started burning the cabinets, the report shows.

Walker told fire investigators she attempted to cover the pot with a plate and move it outside of the house, but when she did the pot became too hot for her to handle and she ended up dropping it at the doorway of the garage, spreading the fire, according to the report.

Fire officials at the scene wrote that there was heavy fire damage in the garage, living room, kitchen and dining room of the structure.

Fire investigators wrote in the report that post-fire estimates put the damage to the home at around $55,000.

In addition to the house, a Dodge Grand Caravan parked about 5 feet from the garage was damaged during the fire, the report shows.

Firefighters said that it was engulfed in flames upon their arrival and required about 200 gallons of water to extinguish. The damage to the vehicle was estimated at around $6,000, according to the report.

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