A deck fire in Broomfield sent one person to the hospital this morning after oily rags, balled up after a paint project, caught fire.
At about 1:30 a.m., neighbors in the 200 block of Powderhorn Trail awoke to the smell of smoke and called 9-1-1, according to a news release from the North Metro Fire Rescue.
By the time firefighters arrived at the home, residents had extinguished most of the deck fire with a garden hose.
Crews completely extinguished the fire, checked for any areas the fire might have spread to and ventilated smoke out of the home.
One resident, whose name has not been released, was taken to a nearby hospital for minor injuries.
The outdoor deck was heavily damaged, but the fire did not spread into the house.
Firefighters urge people to safely dispose of oily rags by laying them out to dry before throwing them away. Rags left wadded up can heat up, smolder and suddenly catch fire.
