No working smoke alarm in North Bay apartment fire

North Bay firefighters made quick work of a suspected cooking fire that broke out Thursday morning at a multi-unit residential building on Fisher Street.

The emergency call came in just after 8 a.m. with crews at the scene in under three minutes, Fire Chief Jason Whiteley said.

"On arrival, fire crews had a working fire with thick, black smoke on the first floor," Whiteley said.

"The fire had burned into the walls and quickly made its way to the second-floor attic area because of balloon construction and wood chip insulation."

Whiteley told CTV News the two-story house was converted to a three-unit apartment complex and everyone inside the building was able to get out safely.

"There wasn’t a working smoke alarm in the fire unit, however the other two units did have working smoke alarms," Whiteley said.

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One dog was rescued by firefighters and no one was injured in the blaze.

Crews had the blaze under control by just after 9 a.m. 

Whiteley said the fire was stubborn due to the age of the structure.

The tenants have all been displaced as a result of the fire.

To stay safe in the kitchen, Whitely recommends:

• Always stay in the kitchen when cooking and turn the stove completely off if you must leave.
• Keep a proper fitting lid near the stove. If a pot of oil catches fire, slide the lid over the pot and turn off the stove. Do not move the pot. Never throw water on a burning pot.
• Keep anything that burns -- plastic utensils, dishcloths, paper towels -- a safe distance from the stove.
• Cook responsibly. To prevent cooking fires, you must be alert. You are not alert if you have consumed alcohol or drugs.
• Wear tight-fitted clothing or roll up your sleeves when using the stove. Loose, dangling clothing can easily catch fire.
• Keep young kids one metre away from the stove. Turn pot handles away from the stove's edge so pots can't easily be knocked off.
• If you burn yourself while cooking, run cool water over the wound for three to five minutes. If the burn is severe, seek medical attention.