“It was determined that it was the careless disposal of cigarettes in a trash barrel,” said Fire Department Capt. Neil Furtado.
Furtado said the trash barrel was in a third-floor unit of a rooming house at 515 South Main St.
Fire investigators found a cigarette butt embedded in the melted plastic of the trash barrel “which was a strong indicator that’s where the fire started,” Furtado said.
The building’s sprinkler system suppressed the fire but caused water damage to the 18-unit structure, said Furtado. Investigators pegged the cost of the damage at approximately $15,000.
No injuries were reported to fire personnel or building residents, according to Furtado.
Firefighters responded to the building about 2:15 p.m. Monday. The residence was located along the parade route near where the parade stepped off from Kennedy Park.
The Veterans Day parade was briefly paused so that fire apparatus could approach the scene.
