Deck Fire From Cigarette Spreads Into Walls Of Buffalo Grove Home

BUFFALO GROVE, IL —The Buffalo Grove Fire Department and crews from area fire departments put out a fire Monday morning caused by a cigarette thrown away hours earlier outside a home in the 900 block of Shambliss Lane in Buffalo Grove. According to a news release from the fire department, a person living at the home smelled smoke before the house's smoke detector went off, and called 911, the fire department said. A cigarette was thrown out in a container on the outside deck at 9 p.m. Sunday, and ended up igniting planting material on fire, the release said.

The resident put out the initial fire by opening the kitchen window and using the water sprayer from the kitchen sink, the fire department said. However, crews arrived at the home, and used a thermal imaging camera and discovered fire had spread from outside the home into the kitchen walls, according to the news release. Firefighters put out the fire within 30 minutes of arriving at the home, and checked to see whether the flames spread further, the department added.

There were no injuries reported, and the family is able to stay at the house despite minor heat, water and smoke damage in the home, the release said.

The fire department reminds residents to make sure lit materials are completely extinguished before being thrown away.

The Buffalo Grove Fire Department was assisted by several agencies at the site, including those who arrived in case extra help was needed due to extreme temperatures, while other departments manned Buffalo Grove fire stations in the event of other emergency calls, the department said.