ST. CLOUD -  An improperly thrown away cigarette is likely the cause of a St. Cloud house fire on Sunday morning.

Fire crews responded to the blaze at 1217 36th Avenue North at about 9:40 a.m. Nobody was hurt but the fire caused around $23,000 worth of damage. St. Cloud Fire Marshal Mike Post says the fire started under the deck of the home and eventually spread into the basement.

Post is reminding you to use a non-flamable container for discarded cigatettes and to empty it often.

"Once you get a bunch of cigarette butts built up into a can, that's pretty much just like a stack of kindling if it dries out. That's one way we see a lot of deck fires."

A woman in a wheelchair was helped out of the home. The Red Cross is helping her with a place to stay after the fire.

Post emphasizes that cigarette butts need to be thrown away properly to prevent fires.

"Often times we see cigarettes being put into a container that's not non-combustible. Usually what we see is plastic coffee cans or plastic paint cans. A lot of people see a paint can and think it's steel, but most of them are plastic with just a metal handle."

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