WAYNESVILLE — The residents of a senior citizens community are safe following a kitchen fire Wednesday night that issued smoke into the building.

Fire crews were dispatched around 8 p.m. to a report of a kitchen fire at Quaker Heights Care Community, 514 High St. A person who answered the phone at the home said the fire department responded quickly and all the residents are safe.

The fire was contained in the ceiling area of the kitchen but concerns about smoke in the building prompted first responders to move residents out of the commons area to behind fire walls, according to Wayne Twp. Fire Chief Paul Scherer.

The fire, which was mostly extinguished before fire crews arrived, started because of a faulty electric exhaust fan, Scherer said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or rwilson@coxohio.com.