Kitchen fire leaves Wheaton apartment uninhabitable

An item left unattended on a stove caused a fire Monday morning that left an apartment unit in west suburban Wheaton uninhabitable.

Firefighters were called to the building in the 1600 block of East Briarcliffe Boulevard about 7:15 a.m. and found flames in a third-floor apartment, according to a statement from the city of Wheaton.

Crews brought the fire under control within several minutes, the city said. Everyone inside got out safely and no one was hurt.

Investigators believe the fire started on accident because an item was left unattended on a stove burner, the city said.

The unit where the fire started is uninhabitable, but other residents in the building were allowed to return to their homes. No injuries were reported.