Township fire department is urging caution in this heat wave after a discarded cigarello ignited a cedar hedge and spread to the the home beside it in Willoughby on Wednesday.
Around 5 p.m., Township firefighters were called to the fire in around 200A Street and 74 Avenue. The fire started in cedar hedges adjacent to the common walkway between two houses, said Pat Walker, Township assistant fire chief.
The radiating heat from the fire melted the vinyl siding and went into the soffits of the home.
There was also a lot of combustibles around the home, which was a danger for the fire to spread, said Walker.
"We are lucky this fire didn't take off. Vinyl siding burns fast."
Once firefighters dug out the fire in the hedges, they discovered a discarded cigarillo type butt. It appears someone chucked the burning cigar into the hedges.
This is the second fire this week caused by a discarded cigarette. The other one was also in Willoughby on Monday but stayed to the grass empty lot.
With this being the driest June in a while, Township fire is asking that everyone rake and clear away any fallen pine needles and soak down cedar hedges as much as possible.