The White Settlement Police Department is investigating a fire after a house burned down Saturday, authorities announced in a news release.
At around 12:10 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a fire in the 300 block of Mirike Drive.
While initially reported as a backyard grass fire, the house was ablaze when officers arrived, police said in the release.
The first responding officer, Sgt. James Stewart, kicked the front door to ensure no occupants were inside, according to the release. The second responding officer, Carlos Valladares, evacuated the neighboring house that was south of the fire due to the proximity of the flames, in which the fence caught fire and began to melt the residence’s siding.
Inside the neighboring house were multiple people and two dogs, according to police. There were no injuries reported.
Fire departments from Fort Worth, Lake Worth, Benbrook, and Lockheed Martin assisted White Settlement police and fire crews.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but police have not ruled out that a thrown cigarette butt near a leaf pile may have started the fire, causing significant property damage, according to the release.
“It’s extremely unfortunate that someone would discard a cigarette outdoors with the hot, windy, and dry conditions that we are experiencing,” White Settlement police said.