MONROE — An accidental kitchen fire Jan. 14 in Monroe caused about $80,000 in damage but did not injure the military veteran living alone in the house, according to Monroe Fire Chief Dan Smits.

The fire was reported at 8:08 p.m. Jan. 14 at 123 22nd Ave., a single-story house located near Monroe Clinic on the city’s northeast side.

It started when food burned on the stovetop, Smits said.

“Kitchen fires are the most common cause of fire in a residential structure,” he said. The takeaway, he added, was that “we should attend to cooking at all times.”

The man living alone in the house is a military veteran and was uninjured but has been displaced by the fire, Smits said.

“He actually has substantial damage to the house even though it does not appear that way from the outside,” Smits said.

It took about an hour and a half to put out the fire. Fire departments from Juda, Orangeville and New Glarus sent engines and Monticello sent firefighters to assist at the scene. The Monticello fire chief and an engine from the South Wayne Fire Department stayed at the Monroe fire station for change-of-quarters assistance.