Boiling sugar water leads to Modesto kitchen fire

The kitchen of an east Modesto home was damaged by fire Wednesday night after a pot of water with sugar in it was left boiling on the stove after the occupant left the house, authorities said.

Modesto firefighters were called to the home in the 4200 block of Hallmark Way just east of McHenry and Claratina avenues at 6:10 p.m., according to Dan Hinshaw, battalion chief with the Modesto Fire Department.

The fire started from the pot, and ignited the nearby microwave and cabinets, Hinshaw said.

It caused extensive damage to the kitchen and smoke and heat damage to other parts of the two-story house, Hinshaw said.

He estimate the damage at $20,000.

Hinshaw said there could have been a lot more damage had it not been for alert neighbor and a plastic kayak.

Apparently, there was at least one kayak leaning against the wall of the kitchen. It caught fire from flames that had gone through a vent leading out from the kitchen.

It was the burning kayak that touched off the call from the neighbor, and if not for that, the damage to the home would have been a lot worse, Hinshaw said.

Four engines, a truck and a battalion chief tended to the fire, which took about 10 minutes to extinguish, Hinshaw said.