Carelessly discarded smoking materials blamed for Palatine apartment deck fire

Palatine Fire Department officials say improperly discarded smoking materials sparked a fire Monday afternoon that damaged two wooden exterior decks.

Firefighters were called to an apartment complex on the 1500 block of North Winslow Drive just before 6:40 p.m. after a diner at a nearby restaurant reported seeing smoke coming from the building.

The fire was contained to two decks, one on the second floor and another directly above it on the third floor, officials said. The fire was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported.

Firefighters were on scene for about an hour checking for hot spots and potential exposure inside the units.

There is no damage estimate, fire officials said.

Residents were allowed back into their units, but the two decks will have to be rebuilt.