The blaze in the Smilšu iela apartment was already out before rescuers arrived. Five people left the residential building on their own.
Latvia’s State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) says calls of this kind come in almost every day. Residents report smoke in stairwells or flats, and crews often find that food has burned in the kitchen while the occupants have gone out or fallen asleep.
Rescuers say a stove should not be left unattended while food is cooking, even for a short time. Burned food can fill a home with heavy smoke that threatens health, and heat can set nearby objects alight.
Over the previous 24 hours VUGD logged 42 calls: 12 to extinguish fires, 19 for rescue work and 11 that proved to be false alarms. Crews also attended fires involving a car, an electricity pole, an electrical cabinet, dry grass, soot and a waste container.