Officials: Cigarette likely caused fire that burned 4 homes

Published April 22, 2017

A lit cigarette likely tossed by a parent waiting for a school bus caused a southwest Florida brush fire that destroyed four homes and several cars.

According to the News-Press (http://newspr.es/2potWei), Lee County fire inspector Dale Reisen said Saturday that the 400-acre Lehigh Acres fire started Friday afternoon when a cigarette was tossed into some dry vegetation. The spot is next to a bus stop where parents pick up their children.

Reisen said that even if the fire was accidental, the person responsible if found will have to pay the costs of fighting it.

Another fire in neighboring Collier County destroyed two trailers. A third in Polk County led to the evacuation of 800 homes.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/officials-cigarette-likely-caused-fire-that-burned-4-homes