Officials say Lincoln house fire was caused by improper cigarette disposal

LINCOLN, R.I. (WLNE) – Officials released the cause of a devastating fire in Lincoln on Monday.

On Tuesday, the State Fire Marshal’s office said the blaze on Bouvier Avenue was an accident caused by the disposal of smoking materials.

The fire left three families, five adults and a child, without a home.

Authorities said a woman was injured after she was forced to jump from a third-floor window to avoid the flames.

The situation could have been worse if not for several neighbors stepping in to help.

Prior to the arrival of firefighters, neighbors said they pulled a mattress out of the first floor and convinced the woman to jump as flames engulfed the home.

“We told her ‘don’t worry, jump, we got the mattress, we’re three guys here, don’t worry, just jump,'” one neighbor said. “And she did.”

The woman was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for further evaluation, according to Manville Fire Chief Robert Bradley.

Bradley added that the extreme heat radiating off the three-story building made conditions difficult for firefighters, but said no one else was injured.

The Red Cross said it is helping the three families displaced by the fire.