UPDATE: Cigarette Leads to House Fire on Hazelhurst

A cigarette in a trash can apparently led to an early morning kitchen fire on Hazelhurst, Ferndale fire officials said.

At 8:30 a.m. Monday, the responded to a fire in the 700 block of West Hazelhurst, Fire Marshal Brian Batten said.

A 79-year-old woman owns the home and lives there with her 51-year-old son.

"The son flicked a cigarette in the trash and left for a job interview," Batten said.

The discarded cigarette caught the trash on fire, which led to the kitchen fire. The homeowner was unable to extinguish the fire, Batten said.

According to Batten, a Michigan state parole agent checking in on the son was banging on the door as the woman was trying to put out the fire.

"We're lucky he was persistent because of the woman's age, smoke could have probably seriously affected her, maybe even killed her," Batten said. "(The agent) did a good job."

The woman wasn't injured in the fire.

The agent called the fire department and the fire was quickly extinguished, but not before $35,000 in damages were caused.

The home is condemned until it is cleaned and repaired, Batten said. "They had no insurance and now no place to go," he said. "Her son who lives with her said he is going to do his best to repair the damages."

Batten said the fire has been ruled an accident.