A garage fire forced four family members to flee their Crump Estate home on Tuesday evening. Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman, says that firefighters were called to the 3200 block of Heritage Road at approximately 9 p.m. after receiving the call.

Wilson says that as firefighters arrived, Columbus Police Officers reported that they had accounted for everyone who had been inside the home. However, a pet cat was missing. One of the occupants, an adult man, was taken to Columbus Regional Health with injuries described as “non-life threatening.” The cat was eventually found, safe, hiding under a bed and returned to the family.

After learning that the residents were out of the house, Wilson says that firefighters began to attack the fire. He added that the fire was under control within 20 minutes.

The owner of the home reportedly told investigators that her kitchen was in the process of being remodeled and that the home’s cooking stove had been moved to the garage. She reportedly said that her 14-year-old grandson was in the garage cooking food on the stove when the fire broke out on the top of the appliance.

Wilson says that investigators determined the cooking fire to be accidental. Damages to the home were estimated at $100,000 to the structure and $25,000 to its contents.

Wilson cites a report from the National Fire Protection Association, in stating that cooking fires are the number one cause of residential fires and fire related injury. With that, the Columbus Fire Department offers these cooking safety tips:

• Stay in the kitchen if for are actively cooking on a stove top.

• Keep combustible items – like towels, paper products and pot holders- away from a hot stove.

• Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen ensuring you can access it without placing yourself in harm’s way.

• If you can’t safety extinguish the fire, get out and call 9-1-1 as soon as possible.

• Always have working smoke alarms inside your home.

• Plan and practice a home fire escape drill: Know two ways out of every room. Crawl on the floor to escape dangerous smoke. Have an outside safe meeting place designated for the entire family. Once you get out, stay out and never go back in to a burning building.