A DISCARDED lit cigarette is thought to have been the curious cause of a house fire in Newton Abbot.

Firefighters think someone threw away the fag in Haydon Court off Western Road which landed on the cladding at newly-built properties on the old hospital building site.

Windy conditions resulted in the cigarette setting other debris in the cladding alight - including other cigarette ends.

Flames from the small fire spread to a tree, which witnesses thought was the original source of the blaze.

A snake-eye camera was used to make sure late Sunday afternoon’s fire was fully extinguished by the one hosereel jet used.