Cigarette discarded in flower pot causes exterior damage to Madison home

MADISON, Wis. — An improperly discarded cigarette caused a flower pot at a Madison home to go up in flames Wednesday afternoon, according to city fire officials.

Madison fire officials said a UPS driver noticed flames coming from a residence in the area while driving through the 4300 block of Crested Owl Lane. The driver banged on the resident’s door to alert them, and the resident grabbed a bucket of water and garden hose to put out the fire.

Meanwhile, multiple callers dialed 911 to alert the fire department.

When crews arrived, the occupant told firefighters the fire was out. Firefighters found lingering hot spots using thermal imaging cameras and used additional water to cool the areas.

The fire did not spread indoors, but it damaged the resident’s deck, exterior siding and patio door. The resident was not displaced by the fire.

Firefighters said the resident reported he was smoking on the deck prior to the fire. He told crews he put the cigarette butt in a flower pot before going back inside. Firefighters said the burn patterns were consistent with the fire coming from the flower pot.

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