Lawrence Douglas County Fire-Medical crews pack up after extinguishing a small fire in the 1800 block of Barker Ave. Friday evening. Division chief Lyle Schwartz said the fire was caused by the occupant after he was stripping paint on the exterior wall with a heat gun.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical crews extinguished a small fire in the 1800 block of Barker Avenue about 7:30 p.m. Friday. Division chief Lyle Schwartz said the fire was caused by the occupant after the heat gun he was using to strip paint from the exterior wall caused a spark. The fire was “mostly smoldering,” Schwartz said, and largely contained inside the wall of the house.