DOVER-FOXCROFT – A cigarette that was not fully extinguished Thursday caused minor damage to a Dover-Foxcroft home.

A 19-year-old member of the Steve Sternal household on Essex Street allegedly had smoked a cigarette in the attic of the home moments before the fire, according to Dover-Foxcroft Fire Chief Joe Guyotte.

Apparently the ashes from the cigarette ignited some insulation, he said.

The young man had left the attic and joined his family downstairs in the 2 1/2-story home when they smelled smoke around 6 p.m. Sternal ran upstairs to find the source of the smoke and poured a bucket of water over it, Guyotte said. He then called the Fire Department.

“We were lucky,” Guyotte said. The fire could have been much worse. He said about 2 1/2 gallons of water were used to douse the small fire.

Guilford firefighters remained on standby at the Dover-Foxcroft fire station.