The central kitchen area and roof space above the stove were destroyed by the fire. 

Armidale Fire and Rescue NSW Region North Three Duty Commander Wayne Zikan said the occupier of the apartment had only stepped out for a few minutes when the fire began.

“That just goes to show how quickly a fire can happen, fires from unattended cooking are one of our biggest calls – even leaving the room to answer a phone is long enough for a fire to start,” he said.

“Thankfully the smoke alarms activated and one of the other residents in the apartment block alerted 000 to the fire.

“It really goes to show the value of a working smoke alarm, we were able to contain the fire to the kitchen and it was put out in under ten minutes.”

The incident has prompted a reminder from authorities to steer clear of house fires unless onlookers believe there is someone in immediate danger inside.

“In a situation like this where there was nobody inside we don’t encourage people to move in and try to deal with the fire themselves,” Mr Zikan.

“A lot of the time those people end up being a victim themselves as a result of smoke inhalation.”

Two units from Armidale Fire and Rescue NSW attended the fire, along with police officers, ambulance officers and an energy authority to cut power to the apartment.