A pot left unattended on a stove was the cause of a fire in an apartment suite on Saturday night.
Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service (AFRS) attended the apartment building on George Ferguson Way at about 9:15 p.m. and arrived to find alarms ringing and light smoke throughout the building.
Deputy Fire Chief Mike Helmer said neighbours helped extinguish the fire before crews arrived. The resident of the suite was treated for smoke inhalation at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and released.
He said an unattended pot on the stove is the city's most frequent type of structure fire.
"AFRS responded to more than 50 of these calls in 2011, and is very concerned about the potential for serious harm," he said.
Also of concern is that many of the residents ignored the fire alarms and had not evacuated the building, Helmer added.
"The AFRS reminds citizens that fire can spread extremely fast and that by waiting for the sight or smell of smoke before leaving, residents are putting their lives at serious risk."12:00:37