Another Bartlett deck fire caused by smoking materials

Bartlett Fire District crews late Thursday responded to their fourth call for a deck fire in the past month, and the third of those to have been caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

Firefighters received the call of a structure fire on the 1100 block of Virginia Court in Bartlett at 11:18 p.m. Thursday and arrived three minutes later.

The source of the fire was found to be the rear deck of the house, where the homeowner had already extinguished most of the flames.

Fire crews used hand tools to remove the house siding to look for any hidden fire, while other crews searched the attic space for the same reason while looking for any trapped occupants.

The fire, which required the presence of 11 firefighters, three command officers and a fire investigator, was declared under control at 11:26 p.m.

The house remained habitable, but a damage estimate was not available Friday.

The Bartlett Fire District reminded the public to properly dispose of smoking materials in an appropriate container and encouraged residents to visit its website at bartlettfire.com for additional tips.