It's thought a cigarette dropped by a passer by may have destroyed the roof of a Cambridge home yesterday.

Firefighters were called out at 11.07am  yesterday (16th May) to Ongar Court after a fire was spotted in a Semi detached house.

No one was in the house at the time of the fire but firefighters rescued a dog, a parrot and a hamster from the house. All the animals were safe.

The roof of the neighbouring house was completely destroyed by fire and there was significant damage to the first floor.

It took firefighters nearly 4 hours to put the fire out.

Bruce Parcell, Station Manager for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The most likely cause of the fire is a cigarette, which may have been dropped near the house or may have been blown by the wind from elsewhere.

"It is very important to dispose of cigarettes safely, particularly when the weather has been dry.

"The only safe way of disposing of your smoking materials is in a bucket of water or sand, as a cigarette can start a smouldering fire in soil."