A DISCARDED cigarette sparked a fire to take hold of a garden fence, before tearing up the front of a house.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service rushed to the home in The Bourne, in Hook Norton, when it happened about 11am Saturday.
The 'developing fire' had spread from a fence at the side of the house before destroying the front.
The fire service said the occupants weren't home at the time.
Incident Commander Crew Manager Ivor Matthews said: "This could have been a very serious incident and thankfully no one was in the property at the time.
"Members of the public are reminded to make sure they properly extinguish cigarettes and dispose of them in a safe manner."
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