An unattended pan of cooking oil on a stove top ignited a fire Monday night that destroyed a small home in Butler.

Two young women and an infant inside had to flee to escape the flames from the quick-moving fire but were unharmed, city fire officials said.

In a matter of minutes the home at 106½ Lyon Ave. — an older, two-story garage converted into a residence — was beyond saving.

"We were there in five minutes from the time we got the call," said Lt. Jim Kaufman of the Butler Fire Department. "But the flames were already blowing out the south side of the building."

Megan Nunez, the tenant of the 20-by-20-foot, wood-frame building, barely had time to run and grab her sleeping daughter, said Butler Fire Chief Nick Ban.

"It's not a big building," he said, "and it went up fast. Luckily, it didn't have a worse outcome."

Officials said Nunez had returned home from work about 9 p.m. and cooked up a batch of French fires on the electric stove. Her friend and babysitter, Raelynne Wenck, also was there.

The burner was left on to reheat the oil for a second batch of fries about 10:20 p.m. when Nunez and Wenck, who were in the living room, noticed smoke coming from the kitchen.

The oil in the pan got too hot and started the fire, Ban said.

Nunez tried to turn off the stove and put out the fire but was could not. By then, the fire already was in the wall.

"She ran upstairs and got her baby," Ban said, noting the child's bedroom is right above the kitchen.

Nunez and daughter Paytyn made it out safely, as did Wenck, who got two pet dogs out, too.