First responders were busy with a pair of structure fires in Niles Sunday.

Chief Larry Lamb, of the Niles Fire Department, said his department responded to a kitchen fire at 545 Grant Street at 11:40 a.m. and a garage fire at 1110 Howard Street at 9 p.m.

Lamb said a pan left unattended on a stove was the cause of the Grant Street fire.

It was confined to the kitchen and cabinet area, Lamb said, and caused an estimated $10,000 in damage to the single-family home.

Lamb said cooking is one of the leading causes of fires.

“It is always important when cooking with grease, especially on a stove top, to not leave it unattended,” he said. “It’s also a good idea to set an alarm when you are baking.”

The fire at 1110 Howard Street occurred in a single-car detached garage in the rear of the yard.

Lamb said neighbors called in the fire and that the garage was fully engulfed by the time firefighters arrived.

Lamb said, although investigators have not pinpointed a cause, it is possible the fire was caused by leftover charcoal or smoking.

The garage was a total loss, Lamb said, but no surrounding structures were damaged.

Niles Township Fire, Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service and Niles Police assisted at the scene of both fires.