Smoke alarm alerts sleeping apartment resident to kitchen fire

CEDAR RAPIDS - An early morning fire temporarily displaced seven people from a two-story multi-family conversion home at 1705 5th Ave. SE.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 4:43 a.m. when one of the apartment residents, Cedric Hyde, 41, was awaken by a smoke alarm sounding and discovered smoke in the kitchen of the apartment. Hyde exited the structure and knocked on other tenants' doors to alert them of the fire.

Firefighters arrived on scene and quickly extinguished cabinets that were on fire above a gas stove in Hyde's kitchen. The fire appears to have originated from a pan with grease that was on the stove.

There were four adults and two children that evacuated from other apartments. There were no injuries.

The fire damage was contained to the kitchen area of Hyde's apartment, with some light smoke damage throughout. The other tenants were allowed to return to their apartments about 45 minutes after the fire was first reported.

The three-family conversion home is owned by JP Enterprises LLC of Marion.