Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue says there were no working smoke alarms in a home that caught fire Sunday morning.

Chief Dan Derby said in a news release that crews arrived at 11 a.m. at 1534 Fifth Ave. to find heavy smoke coming from the building. Two occupants were out of the building and firefighters rescued a dog. The Canadian Red Cross is now helping them out.

The cause was unattended cooking. “The occupants had left a pot of oil on the stove and woke to the kitchen fully engulfed in fire,” Derby said.

The fire was under control after half an hour. Two dozen firefighters responded from Trail and Warfield responded.

Derby says the building may not be salvageable. The occupants had no home insurance. “It was a substantial fire in a small home,” he says. “The fire has a footprint across the home.”

Derby says they have more work to do to get the message out that working smoke alarms are necessary outside every bedroom. Additionally, they need to be replaced every 10 years. He also urges you to maintain a three-foot clearance around any space heaters.