Cigarette blamed for blaze

A carelessly extinguished cigarette is being blamed for an apartment fire in the 7000 block of Lee Highway on Sunday.

Chattanooga Fire Department spokesman Bruce Garner said no one was injured in the blaze at the Villas at Oakcrest Apartments.

The CFD sent six fire companies to the apartment complex shortly after 2 p.m., where they found light smoke showing from a third-floor apartment.

Firefighters used a hose to extinguish the flames and learned a resident had been smoking on the balcony and put the cigarette out in a bucket on the deck.

The fire was contained to the balcony area but water damaged two apartments below, Garner said. Damages were estimated at $40,000.