A Lit Cigarette Ignites a House Fire on Moore Street

A Moore Street home suffered extensive damage early Friday afternoon after a resident ignited a fire by discarding his lit cigarette on a pile of dry leaves and a plastic rain diverter, according to Princeton Borough Police. 

No one was hurt, but about than 60 firefighters and six emergency medical technicians responded to the blaze at 156 Moore Street, the home of Marc and Susana Monseau, police said.

A resident of the house called police at 12:42 p.m. and reported that the back of his house was on fire. When police arrived on scene a minute later, the residents were outside and the back of the house was engulfed in flames.

The fire had spread from the leaves and the rain diverter to the exterior wall and deck of the house, police said. 

Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 1:35 p.m. 

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The following departments provided mutual aid: Rocky Hill, Plainsboro, Princeton Plasma Physics, Kingston, South Brunswick and Princeton Junction.