A barkdust fire late Friday night caused by cigarettes resulted in an estimated $10,000 worth of damage, according to Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli.
Vancouver firefighters were called to 15600 N.E. 5th St. for the blaze, which they quickly extinguished.
Damage to the exterior of the house and the vegetation, however, was extensive.
A cigarette had been smoldering for about 24 hours, Scarpelli said.
“It’s critical that people extinguish cigarettes in metal containers filled with sand or water,” Scarpelli said. These fires, she said, “do an extensive amount of damage and they’re preventable.”
