An unsuccessful attempt at making french fries sparked a kitchen fire Friday evening that forced the residents of a Cleveland Avenue apartment building out into the cold winter air and sent one person to hospital.

Assistant Fire Chief Ian Josephson said the blaze started when a pot of oil caught fire in a downstairs unit.

Josephson said a tenant had been heating the pot and intended to make french fries. The man left the room, but when he returned, he found the oil had ignited. He tried to extinguish the fire with both a blanket and portable fire extinguishers, but was unsuccessful.

Paramedics treated several tenants on site for smoke inhalation and took one person to hospital.

The fire caused extensive fire and smoke damage to the unit where it began. Other parts of the building suffered light smoke damage.