CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The owner of a Cape Coral condo that caught fire on Monday has a warning message that he wants to share with the world after his mistake nearly burned down the entire building.
Aaron St. Pierre and his wife own the condo in a building at the corner of Cape Coral Parkway and Triton Court West. On Monday morning, a fire started in the kitchen of their condo.
Aaron said the fire was his fault.
Still rebuilding their home after Hurricane Ian ushered in 18 inches of water, Aaron lifted up a new sink and placed it on the countertop and stove before leaving for work.
However, what he didn’t realize was that he somehow turned on the stove.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man working next door spots & puts out fire in Cape Coral condo building
“I lifted it up and kind of had to push it on, and I must have hit a button on the stove,” St. Pierre said. “And it lit the cardboard on fire and caused all of this.”
New Ring doorbell video from the front entrance of their home shows the moment a contractor next door spotted the flames and helped stop the fire.
“Oh s***,” said George Reith in the recording.
He ran out of frame for a few seconds before running back, this time with a cell phone in hand and with another passerby who just happened to be bicycling in the area.
“Triton Court West, it’s on fire, yeah. Big fire! Big fire! Apartment,” Reith screamed on the phone with 911.
Meanwhile, the two break through the window and use a garden hose to help nearly put out all of the flames.
“There was another gentleman going by on a bicycle,” Reith said. “He stopped. I asked him for his help. He broke the window, and I started to extinguish the fire. I wasn’t going to let everything burn up.”
Cape Coral firefighters were glad he didn’t let the building burn. They awarded Reith a Community Recognition Coin for his heroic efforts.
“His actions kept it from spreading and impacting multiple units,” said Cape Coral Fire Department public affairs specialist Andrea Schuch.
But no one is more thankful than Aaron St. Pierre, who owns the condo with his wife.
He said the fire was his fault.
They just got their kitchen cabinets and appliances installed last week. Their contractor needed the sink for measurements for the new countertops, which were going to be installed in another week.
He managed to turn on the stove while putting the box up on the counter and stovetop. But he never realized what he did.
“I didn’t feel any heat, I didn’t smell anything. Nothing,” St. Pierre said.
“Kitchen fires are the number one fires that we see,” added Schuch.
The St. Pierres don’t want anyone else to make the same mistake they did. That’s why they’re opening up their door and inviting you to see firsthand the damage that can come from one little bump.
“Boy, you hit these things, and it can turn it on instantly,” St. Pierre said.
“It’s not a storage space. We just like to remind everybody it is a heat source,” Schuch added.
After talking with the insurance company, the St. Pierre’s will likely be out of their home for roughly two and a half months.
Among the many things they need to replace for a second time is their stove. But getting one with knobs on the front?
“Never ever, ever, ever. Never again, and my wife said the same thing,” St. Pierre said.
The fire department encourages the community to get in the habit of checking the knobs on your stove after use or if you’re working nearby.
Also, never use your stove or oven as a place for storage.