A kitchen fire in a basement apartment prompted an evacuation and temporary road closure in London Tuesday morning.
London Fire Department crews were dispatched to a multi-unit building on Wellington Road near Alexandra Street shortly before 10 a.m. after reports of smoke coming from the property.
Firefighters discovered the blaze in the kitchen of a basement unit, which was unoccupied at the time. Residents living in a first-floor apartment were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.
Officials credited working smoke alarms with alerting those inside and allowing everyone to get out of the building safely.
The fire caused significant damage to the basement unit’s kitchen, although authorities have not provided a dollar estimate.
Wellington Road was closed in both directions between Whetter Avenue and Raywood Avenue while crews dealt with the fire. The roadway reopened at approximately 11:30 a.m.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.