WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WTVN)--Investigators have determined what caused a fatal fire in Westerville earlier this month.
The Westerville Fire Department says the fire at an apartment on Virginia Lane was started by unattended cooking.
The fire broke out October 17th, and killed 32-year-old Chaude Reed. Two other people in the apartment were able to escape, thanks to smoke detectors in the building.
The apartment was part of a multi-unit building, and occupants of other units were also alerted to the fire by smoke detectors.
Westerville Fire Chief Brian Miller says it's the 2nd time a relatively recent event that unattended cooking caused a fire, leading to a death. Back in September 2017, a 17-year-old Westerville student was killed when fire overwhelmed a home, after someone in the home left a hot stove unattended and fell asleep.