A 53-year-old Oak Harbor woman was severely burned in an accidental fire Sunday afternoon.

Oak Harbor Fire Chief Mark Soptich said firefighters pulled Sandra McAninch out of the smoke and flames engulfing her SW Heller Street condominium.

McAninch was transported to Whidbey General Hospital and airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment. She was listed in serious condition in the intensive care burn unit Tuesday afternoon.

“I anticipate she is going to be there for awhile,” Soptich said.

The fire was reported at 3:19 p.m. by a neighbor who saw smoke coming from Birch Tree condos. Soptich said 18 firefighters responded with two engines and a ladder truck from Oak Harbor Fire and an engine from North Whidbey Fire and Rescue.

“We had a real quick knockdown” of the flames, Soptich said.

Firefighters went inside and discovered McAninch, who was the only person injured in the blaze.

Soptich said the fire appeared to have been started accidentally on the kitchen stovetop while she was cooking. He didn’t know why McAninch wasn’t able to get out of the home on her own.

Soptich brought in the Region 3 Arson Task Force to help investigate the cause. He said the team of state experts investigates many different fires, including those that aren’t considered suspicious.

The fire chief estimates the damage to the condo at $75,000 to $100,000.

The kitchen and the first floor sustained fire damage, while heat and smoke caused damage throughout the rest of the residence.

You can reach News-Times reporter Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611.