Huntington Beach : Fire Damages Home; Cigarette Gets Blame
A smoldering cigarette was blamed for a $30,000 blaze in a home early Monday.
Fire Capt. Don Martin said a neighbor reported seeing smoke at 8:23 a.m. in the house at 4951 Hilo Circle. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within five minutes, but flames had already gutted a hobby room and part of a hallway and caused extensive smoke damage.
“If the neighbor hadn’t spotted it, the fire damage would have been much worse,” Martin said.
Resident Don Dill said he had been smoking earlier Monday morning while poring over bills at a desk in the room where he builds model airplanes, Martin said.
Dill, who rents the house, apparently did not extinguish the cigarette completely before leaving for work, Martin said.
Damage to the structure and contents was estimated at $15,000 each. No one was injured.
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