A fire at a second-floor townhouse unit in Ewa Beach started when the occupant forgot to turn off the stove after the electricity went out in her neighborhood.

The woman was frying when the electricity went out yesterday afternoon, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig. She then neglected to turn off the stove before leaving the house to visit a neighbor, he said.

While she was gone, the electricity came back on, and the fryer overheated, causing the fire, he said.

Damage was estimated at $25,000 confined to the kitchen.

It was the second fire at a multifamily dwelling yesterday, and the fifth since Jan. 29.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a fire at a Kaimuki cottage that caused $10,000 damage yesterday, Seelig said.