Damage is pegged at $25,000 after an improperly discarded cigarette butt ignited the side of a house in east London.
Firefighters were called to the home at 172 Egerton St. south of Hamilton Road just after 5 a.m. on Monday. A neighbour had reported seeing flames coming from the basement.
"The crews arrived on scene to find fire on the exterior of the home. Both fire and smoke were visible," said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. "The occupants had made it out of the home prior to our arrival and were attempting to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers."
Fire crews took over and quickly doused the flames.
No injuries were reported.
An investigation determined the blaze was sparked by a discarded cigarette that ignited flammable materials resting against the outside of the home.
"We say 'put it out, right out.' This is another good example of why this is the case," said Mosburger. "Never discard smoking material with other combustible material. If there is even one ember burning within the cigarette it has the potential of catching fire and creating a larger problem."
A section of Egerton was briefly blocked while fire crews were on scene. The street was reopened around 7:30 a.m.
