A lit cigarette left in a hotel room Thursday prompted an evacuation and caused $20,000 in damage, the Fayetteville Fire Department said.
The fire was reported at 11:18 a.m. on the third floor of the Red Roof Inn on the 3100 block of Bordeaux Park Drive, a news release said.
Hotel staff found black smoke along the room's walls after cleaning crews heard the alarm.
"The alarm and sprinkler system worked the way it was intended to," Richard Whiteside, a battalion chief, said. "It was under control."
The fire was contained to the single room as multiple departments responded to the incident, the release said.
"It appears that a hotel guest had checked out of the hotel and left an unattended cigarette in the hotel room," the release said.
Firefighters found smoke throughout the third-floor hallway and 12 people - guests and staff - at the scene.
The Red Roof Inn is a four-story hotel. The hotel returned to full operations before 5 p.m. Thursday, Whiteside said.