HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Hutchinson Fire Department responded to a house fire at 10 Hilltop Drive just after 11 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Apparently, an alert citizen driving by noticed smoke and flames coming from the exterior of the southwest corner of the home. The citizen notified a contractor who was on scene collecting leaves and cleaning up the yard. Both utilized a nearby garden hose to knock down the flames as firefighters arrived.

The fire was contained to the exterior of the home with no smoke or heat damage to the interior. The fire burned through the siding and into the foam board before it was completely extinguished. Fire also damaged the gas meter.

Hutchinson Fire Investigator Mike Cain said a halogen light that was covered with debris was the cause of the fire. Officials say the halogen light was used in a flower bed to accent the home. Halogen light bulbs have been known to cause fires when they touch the wrong surface for too long.