Temple firefighters got an early start Monday, fighting a fire behind a Downtown thrift store.

Temple Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a structure fire at 106 West Avenue D at 3:10 AM. The first crew on the scene spotted heavy smoke issuing from a building behind the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, and the exterior of the building showed signs of a fire blazing inside.

Photo Courtesy of Temple Fire & Rescue
Photo Courtesy of Temple Fire & Rescue
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Thankfully there were no workers inside the building at the time, and the fire was called under control at 5:15 AM with no injuries.

It took 10 firefighting apparatus and 28 firefighters to battle the flames, and police closed streets near the scene of the fire until it was under control.

Photo Courtesy of Temple Fire & Rescue
Photo Courtesy of Temple Fire & Rescue
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The fire remained under investigation late Monday morning. Police and fire investigators were still asking people to avoid the area as they work to clean up the scene and determine what started the fire.

Photo Courtesy of Temple Fire & Rescue
Photo Courtesy of Temple Fire & Rescue
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Last week was Fire Prevention Week in the United States. The National Fire Protection Association's 2020 theme was "Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen", and though this morning's fire wasn't a home kitchen fire, I think it's still worth passing along information and tips the NFPA shared last week to protect your home and your family.

According to the NFPA, the leading cause of house fires is cooking left unattended. They urge you to always stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.

If you're baking or roasting food, they recommend staying inside your home while the food is cooking and checking it frequently.

Always keep a lid handy when cooking so that if a grease fire starts, you can slide the lid over the pan you're using to help kill the flames. You should also turn the burner off.

Of course, you should never leave children unsupervised when there's food on the stove or in the oven, and you should do everything you can to keep them away from cooking appliances while they're in use.

One of the best, fundamental things you can do to keep your family safe is install and maintain smoke detectors. The NFPA reports that working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a house fire in half. They recommend installing them in every room in which people sleep, outside each of those rooms, and every level of your home, including attics and basements.

Find more information on fire prevention and safety at nfpa.org.

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