Firefighters responded to the five-story apartment complex at 17 E. Second Ave. just before 1:30 a.m. after fire alarms in the building were triggered by smoke.
An undetermined number of people evacuated the building while firefighters searched for the cause.
On the scene, crews traced the fire to the third floor from smoke in the hallway.
When they entered the apartment where the fire had occurred, they found an overhead sprinkler system in the kitchen had already doused the fire and damages were minimal.
Fire Chief Steve Beer could not say explicitly that food left on the stove caused the fire, but he said the occupant of the apartment had left the building, and the fire was limited to the kitchen.
“Sprinklers do save lives and property,” Beer said in a news release.
“The fuel loads in today’s structure plays a critical role in our fire operations,” he stated. “Petroleum-based plastics in furniture and accessories allow the fire of today to burn quicker and hotter than ever before. Remember, you only have three minutes to exit your structure when your fire alarm sounds. The Hutchinson Fire Department will be canvassing the immediate area to remind citizens and businesses of these safety facts.”
