Neighbours raised the alarm when a kitchen fire broke out at a block of flats in Trowbridge.
Smoke was pouring out of doors and windows at a property in Hawthorn Grove by the time fire crews arrived around 7.15pm on Saturday.
Crews from Trowbridge, Westbury and Melksham used breathing apparatus, hose reels and a ventilation fan to control the blaze sparked by an unattended pan of cooking oil.
No one was in the flat at the time but a pan of oil had
been left simmering on an electric cooker.
Smoke caused damage throughout the flat while the kitchen was gutted.
Trowbridge station officer Ade Hurren said simple safety steps could have prevented the fire.
He said: "Lessons should be learned from this incident. People really ought to have smoke alarms fitted by now.
"Cookers should be turned off every time you go out and if doors had been closed there might not have been so much smoke damage."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article