A cigarette in a wicker basket is believed to be the origin of a house fire on Monroe Street The Garden City Fire Department’s quick response is being credited with keeping damage to a minimum on two residential properties.

On May 28 at 6:50 p.m. at a house on Monroe Street, a cigarette in a wicker garbage basket started a fire in a utility closet located off a first floor kitchen. The first engine was on the scene in less than two minutes, and firefighters were able to confine the fire to the area of origin. Captain Harry G. Frank reported that there was a considerable smoke condition in the residence due to the plastic containers that had also burned.

At 2:38 a.m. on May 29, a shed located in the rear of a house on Wilson Street caught on fire, apparently due to an electrical problem. The first fire engine was on the scene in less than two minutes. Firefighters had water on the fire within 3 minutes and 15 seconds from the dispatch of the alarm.

Firefighters’ quick response kept a fire confined to a shed on Wilson Street “The fire caused considerable damage to the shed but the quick extinguishment prevented any damage to the residence,” Captain Frank said.