Burning food on the stove sparked a fire Wednesday that destroyed the kitchen and caused smoke damage to a single-family home in the 300 block of South Western Avenue, according to the Santa Maria Fire Department.

The blaze caused an estimated $25,000 in damage to the one-story structure, said fire Battalion Chief Dan Orr.

At about 9 a.m., the fire began with a pan of bacon sizzling on the stove top, and flames quickly spread to a grease-covered fan above, Orr said.

Firefighters were forced to tear out most of the kitchen ceiling in order to extinguish the rapidly growing fire.

No one was injured in the blaze, officials said, and all fire units cleared the area within the hour.

Red Cross personnel showed up to help the family find lodging.

Cooking equipment, most often a range or stove top, is the leading cause of reported home fires in the United States, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

In this case, Orr said, a fire extinguisher or having a lid nearby to safely smother the flames would have helped minimize the fire's damage.