Discarded cigarette blamed for house fire

Fire caused significant damage to a home in the 200 block of West 19th Street at 4:25 a.m. Wednesday.

Firefighters found the back porch of the house in flames when they arrived at the scene. The fire extended to the back side of the house.

According to the Idaho Falls Fire Department, the homeowner was awakened by the fire and was attempting to put it out with a garden hose. The homeowner was out of the house safely and was not hurt. There was no one else in the home.

The fire extended into the kitchen and living room and into the siding on the east side of the home. Firefighters extinguished the fire but stayed on the scene to make sure it did not rekindle.

The cause of the fire was an improperly extinguished cigarette. Damages were estimated at about $50,000.