Residents of the an apartment building at 527 Battle St. were rudely awakened Wednesday morning when fire alarms jolted everyone at around 9 a.m.

Minutes later, about a dozen people milled about in front of the Wedgewood Arms Apartment watching as smoke wafted out of a third floor apartment.

They'd quickly get word that the incident was a common call for firefighters.

"The landlord popped his head out and said it was a pot on a stove," said resident Bonnie Braem as she cradled her hamster.

She and her partner live on the top floor and were quick to respond to the alarms.

"It just kind of scared the hell out of us when we heard everything going off."

She said as she and her partner evacuated, they could smell the smoke but couldn't see anything.

Kamloops Fire Rescue also responded quickly, arriving within five minutes with two engines and a passenger vehicle.

By 9:30 a.m., dispatchers called for other firefighters to stand down. The danger was over.