A discarded cigarette sparked a small balcony fire at Grand Reserve Apartments in Spring Hill on Tuesday, Oct. 6, but the building's sprinkler system snuffed it out before crews arrived.

Engine 64 was initially dispatched for a fire alarm, Maury County Source reported. A second caller then reported a sprinkler had activated on an apartment balcony, and dispatchers upgraded the call to a possible structure fire.

Firefighters found a small fire burning in a flowerpot on the balcony. The sprinkler system had already extinguished it before it could spread to the building. The Spring Hill Fire Department said the fire was caused by an improperly discarded cigarette.

No one was injured.

While crews worked the apartment call, a second emergency came in from across town. A person was trapped inside an elevator at the Tru Hotel on JW Parkway. Firefighters responded and safely freed the passenger. No injuries were reported in that incident either.

The department said it shared both calls as reminders about fire safety during Fire Prevention Month. The incidents fell during Fire Prevention Week, which runs Oct. 4–10. The National Fire Protection Association's 2026 theme is "Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower," a campaign focused on safe charging and disposal of lithium-ion batteries in phones, e-bikes, scooters and other rechargeable devices.

The department, led by Fire Chief Graig Temple, had already highlighted battery fire risks earlier in the week. As we reported Oct. 5, Temple warned residents about the growing danger of lithium-ion batteries in household devices.

Tuesday's balcony fire traced to a more familiar hazard. The department identified the cause as a cigarette that was not properly put out before being left in a flowerpot on the balcony.