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Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

Firefighters responding to a house fire on the East Side Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, said they believe the blaze began when a resident tried to start a lawnmower too close to a water heater.

SAN ANTONIO — Firefighters believe a lawnmower that was a little too close to a water heater might have caused an East Side house fire that caused “heavy” damage Friday.

Battalion Chief Tony Rodriguez said the fire began around 10:15 a.m. in the home’s utility closet when one of the residents was trying to start the lawn mower.

“It sparked the pilot on the water heater,” Rodriguez said. “It was probably just the fumes from the lawn mower.”

The fire quickly spread to a bedroom, and then to the home’s kitchen and a hallway.

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“There’s heavy fire damage, but the crew got in quick and knocked it down,” Rodriguez said.

There were six people inside the home at the time of the fire, and all of them were able to escape without injury.

The fire caused about $30,000 in damage, Rodriguez said.

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