Cigarette butt ignites east side blaze

After burning through a cigarette, a Ridgeway Avenue man said he decided to lay down and take a nap Tuesday afternoon. But before sleeping, he tossed his cigarette butt near a pile of wood, according to a Madison Fire Department report.

After an hour nap, the man awoke to find the pile of wood blazing and catching the side of his house on fire. The man was able to put out the fire using a dry chemical extinguisher, then used a garden hose to finish off the hot spots.

Firefighters later showed up to “overhaul” the fire and check the surrounding areas for fire extensions. They also ventilated the house of smoke.

The cigarette butt fire’s only victims were a nearby chair and bicycle.