Firefighters put out a two-alarm blaze and rescued a woman trapped inside her East Palo Alto apartment early this morning. The firefighters said the fire had been caused by an unattended pot left on the stove, a fire chief said.
Fire crews from Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Redwood City responded to a report of a fire at a three-story apartment complex at 280 East O'Keefe St. at 12:03 a.m., Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman said.
The fire originated on the second floor, in the back of the building, and was caused by an unattended pot on the stove, Schapelhouman said.
A woman was initially trapped on the building's second floor, but firefighters were able to rescue her and transport her to a hospital for treatment, the chief said.
Schapelhouman said that two other women were in the apartment at the time of the fire, but were able to run out by themselves before being transported to a hospital.
As of about 12:45 a.m., Schapelhouman said, fire crews had extinguished the blaze.
None of the injuries caused by the fire are considered life-threatening, Schapelhouman said, but noted that one firefighter from the first responding crew did suffer from smoke inhalation, but remained at the scene, he said.
Schapelhouman said the majority of the damage was done in the second floor, but the third floor sustained some smoke damage.
Six people total, including three women from the unit on fire and three others from a separate unit, were displaced, Schapelhouman said.
The unit sustained about $100,000 to $150,000 in damage, and another $20,000 to $25,000 in belongings were lost.
