A cooking accident is likely to blame for a fast-moving fire that destroyed a home at 528 Arlington St. in Tamaqua Monday morning.

“The resident of 528 was boiling water on the stove. She placed the kettle on the stove and walked out for a moment,” said Tamaqua Police Chief Michael Hobbs. “When she returned, it was on fire.”

A neighbor in the adjoining property at 530 Arlington St. ran next door with a fire extinguisher.

Unfortunately, it was too late, Hobbs said. The property at 530 Arlington St. also suffered damages.

Hobbs was on patrol blocks away at the Tamaqua Elementary School when the fire started.

“I could see the column of smoke from there,” he said.

He immediately went to the scene. Emergency responders from all four Tamaqua fire companies were also arriving to the 8:40 a.m. call.

Hobbs said he drove by the residences just minutes before when he was following a school bus route. There was no sign of anything awry.

“It caught that quick,” he said.

Within an hour, firefighters had knocked down the flames and were keeping an eye on hot spots. The fire appeared to have jumped to the third floor of 528 Arlington St. Damage from the flames was evident from the home’s side and front windows. The property at 530 Arlington St. appeared to have damages to its first floor.

A small walkway separates the home from 526 Arlington St., where Ed Houseman Jr. lives. Heat was so intense that it broke windows on his home.

Houseman wasn’t home when he heard the news. When he returned, he was told that if he didn’t have asbestos siding, his home likely would have “gone up like an ashtray.”

“I’m just glad that everybody got out,” Houseman Jr. said.

Hobbs commended the work of volunteer firefighters.

“They did an excellent job of knocking it down and keeping it contained,” he said.

Responding to the scene were Tamaqua’s American, Citizens, East End and South Ward fire companies; Tamaqua Rescue Squad, and fire departments from Coaldale, Summit Hill and Lansford.

Tamaqua Fire Police temporarily closed streets and directed traffic away from the scene.