PLANO (1080 KRLD) - An apartment fire this morning in Plano sent one person to the hospital and forced several others to evacuate the building, but officials say the damage could have been much worse.
Fire crews responded to the call at the Gateway Crossing Apartments around 6 a.m. Captain Peggy Harrell with Plano Fire Rescue says by the time firefighters got to the scene, the fire was largely taken care of.
"There was cooking that had been left on the stovetop," Harrell says. "And the resident's sprinkler system had extinguished the fire. Residential sprinkler systems are such an effective tool. This could have been a much bigger fire had that apartment not had a residential sprinkler system."
Harrell says the fire serves as a timely reminder to turn off kitchen appliances when you're done using them. This week is Nation Fire Prevention Week and, ironically, this year's theme is fire safety in the kitchen.
One person had to be taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation but no serious injuries were reported. Several people had to evacuate because of smoke and water damage.
