Patio Fire Began with Smoldering Cigarette, Officials Say

A fire on the patio of a condominium in the 2700 block of Upper Ridge Drive on Wednesday morning was likely started by a smoldering cigarette, officials say.

No one was injured, and the fire was put out shortly after a security guard for the condominium noticed it burning around 2:40 a.m., according to an Oakland County Sheriff's Office report. The Rochester Hills Fire Department also responded to the scene.

According to the report, the security guard observed smoke "pillowing" from an upper patio and knocked on the door of the condo to let the residents know about the fire. The guard also evacuated residents of area condos, the report stated.

The residents inside the condo unit were asleep when the guard knocked; they told officials they had been smoking on the patio earlier that evening but had thought they put their cigarettes out in an ashtray, the report stated.

The report concluded: "The fire was extinguished and assumed to have been caused by smoldering cigarettes."