SUFFOLK, Va. — Investigators said Tuesday that unattended cooking was responsible for starting a fire Monday that put one person in the hospital.
The fire started around 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 22 in the 200 block of Woodrow Ave., south of the downtown area.
When Suffolk Fire & Rescue arrived on the scene, crews found heavy smoke coming from the front of the home, and heavy fire coming from the back.
Crews had the fire under control around 7:45 p.m.
The person who was hurt had gotten out of the home and gone to a neighbor's house prior to Suffolk Fire & Rescue's arrival. Medics took him to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with severe burn injuries.
The home had heavy fire, smoke, and heat damage.
The fire department said the person hurt in the fire still was in the hospital Tuesday for observation.
Because of the nature of the fire, firefighters took the opportunity to remind people that cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries from home fires. They said that Thanksgiving "leads the charge annually for residential fires involving cooking equipment."