A south-central El Paso house fire is heavily damaged, after the homeowner left his stove on while he went to the store.

Officials with the El Paso Fire Dept. said the house fire happened at 5:08 p.m. Sunday afternoon, at the 200 block of Collingsworth St. 

The fire started in the kitchen due to the stove being left on while the 49-year-old homeowner was at the store. After coming back home, the homeowner found his kitchen on fire, and tried to put it out with a garden hose.

At least 9 fire units and 25 firefighters responded to this incident. When crews arrived, they saw flames and smoke coming from the middle of the home.

The fire was under control within 20 minutes.

A fire investigator determined the flames from the pan caught the kitchen cabinets on fire. The cabinets were reportedly in extreme close proximity to the stove.

The house sustained heavy fire damage in the kitchen and living room along with heavy smoke damage throughout. The high winds played a factor in spreading the fire. Damages are estimated at $40,000. The 49-year-old man was transported to University Medical Center as a safety precaution to be evaluated. 

The El Paso Fire Department would like to remind the public to always be extremely cautious when cooking. It is also important to never attempt to fight a fire but rather evacuate as quickly as possibly and call 911 immediately.

Here are additional cooking safety tips from EPFD:

- The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

- If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you're cooking. Stay alert! To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.

- Keep anything that can catch fire - potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels, or curtains - away from your stovetop.

- Keep the stovetop, burners, and oven clean.