Careless smoking caused evacuation of apartment building

The fire was contained to one room of an East Windsor apartment

EAST WINDSOR - A misplaced cigarette caused a fire in a bedroom of an apartment and forced the temporary evacuation of several neighbors while firefighters extinguished the blaze, authorities said.

Police cars outside the East Windsor Township Police Station on Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Griff, Martin 

The fire was reported shortly before 10 p.m. at 62 Chatham Court. Firefighters evacuated nearby residents while the fire, which was contained to the master bedroom of one apartment, was extinguished, police said.

The fire was under control in about 15 minutes. No other structures were threatened and no one was injured. Firefighters determined the cause of the fire was a misplaced cigarette, police said.

The sole resident of the apartment had gotten out before firefighters arrived, police said. 

The apartment was left uninhabitable. The resident was assisted with temporary housing by the North Jersey chapter of the American Red Cross, police said.