A Middle River man died early today in a one-alarm fire started by a pot of food left cooking on a kitchen stove, Baltimore County fire officials said.

Scott A. Brown, 33, of the first block Right Rudder Court in Victory Villa, was found dead, lying on the hallway floor outside the bedroom of his one-story house, Battalion Chief Patrick Kelly said.

A patrolling police officer called in the fire at 3:38 a.m. after seeing smoke rising from the house, and fire companies from Middle River, Golden Ring, Essex and Bowleys Quarters had the kitchen fire under control by 4:03 a.m. Chief Brown said the blaze did an estimated $30,000 damage to the house, mainly confined to the kitchen. The house had smoke detectors with working batteries, but they did not save Mr. Brown, who lived there alone. It was the sixth fire fatality in Baltimore County this year.