MONROE — Fire Chief Dan Smits credits a quick-acting passerby with helping prevent a house fire early Sunday, April 28.

The passerby noticed a deck on fire behind a house in the 800 block of 25th Avenue and knocked on the door to wake the residents.

Monroe firefighters were dispatched at about 2:25 a.m. and had the fire out in about five minutes. Smits said the fire probably started from discarded smoking materials, like cigarettes. Firefighters sprayed foam, as opposed to water, during the “final mop-up” of the deck because “it gets to hidden areas we sometimes can’t get to,” Smits said.

The back deck is “history,” but the house only had some smoke damage, he said. The family was able to continue living in the home.

It’s critical that the passerby drove past and acted quickly.

“Minutes really made a difference in this situation,” Smits said.