VIRGINIA BEACH — A fire started by unattended cooking oil displaced 11 people from their homes on Sunday.
Firefighters responded to a fire in the 3300 block of Boynton Court around 1:23 p.m. When they arrived, they found smoke and fire coming from the back side of a multi-family townhouse, according to a Virginia Beach Fire Department news release.
Wind gusts pushed the fire to two buildings on an adjacent street, causing exterior heat damage. Along with the townhouses, sheds and privacy fences were also damaged by the fire.
The fire was under control by 1:49 p.m., and no one was injured.
Investigators say the fire was accidental. They believe it was started by cooking oil that was left unattended on the back deck of one of the units, the release states.
