Two occupants of a duplex escaped injury after their home caught fire Sunday morning.

Around 10:30 a.m. firefighters responded to 103 Dogwood St. where they observed smoke coming from the duplex. It was quickly determined to be a working fire, according to Capt. Tim Lankford of West Stanly Volunteer Fire Department.

The blaze damaged most of the single-level brick structure.

A father and his small daughter were home at the time of the fire that started from food cooking on the stove. The father had poured oil in a pot to make donuts and then left the oil unattended. At that time, flames reached the cabinets and ignited the blaze, according to Michael Roark, fire marshal for the city of Albemarle who was filling in for the vacationing county fire marshal.

The fire was officially ruled as accidental, Roark added.

Firefighters from four departments battled the blaze in Locust Sunday morning. The volunteer fire departments of Georgeville, Ridgecrest and Oakboro assisted West Stanly with the blaze.

No one was hurt in the fire and the victims displaced relied on family and friends to help with temporary lodging, Lankford said.

Three other occupants of the duplex were not at home at the time of the fire.

Contact Ritchie Starnes at 704-754-5076 or ritchie.starnes@stanlynewspress.com.