Elgin resident says fire caused by burning stove while she went out

A kitchen fire Monday afternoon in Elgin left uninhabitable an apartment in the former Burnham Schoolhouse near downtown Elgin.

The female resident of the apartment on the second floor of the building on the 200 block of Center Street told firefighters "she left some food on the stove and went out to the store," Elgin Fire Battalion Chief Rich Carter said.

Firefighters were called at about 2:30 p.m. and left about an hour later, he said. There were no injuries.

The building has 16 units and the other apartments were fine, Carter said. Most of the damage to the one unit was caused by smoke, he said.